


Howl of the Night

by Wordsinrain



Category: BtVS - Fandom, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dark-Hunter Series - Sherrilyn Kenyon, dark-hunters
Genre: F/M, Paranormal Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-24
Updated: 2011-04-24
Packaged: 2017-11-07 15:40:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 29,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/432769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wordsinrain/pseuds/Wordsinrain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the first was defeated Faith was given charge of New Orleans. Determined to alleviate her boredom she visits Sanctuary where she meets Sasha, who seems to believe he is her mate. But the fates will do anything to rectify their mistake.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was a quiet night as far as nights go, two vamps dusted, one blue scaley demon beheaded, and four people saved from ritualistic slaughter. Bread and butter for a slayer of eight years. Faith shrugged her coat off and threw it over the banister. Being a 'good girl', or a Buffy clone as the others would have it, over the past few years had allowed her to accumulate enough wealth to actually purchase a home of her own. Y'know, rather than the little rented shit holes she had been used to before she went a little on the psychopathic side. It also helped that the watchers council had decided to pay their slayers.

She didn't bother locking the door as she travelled into her living room. Whatever was scary enough to kill her could get through a measly lock and anything else unlucky enough to stumble into her home would get everything they had coming to them. Kicking her Doc Martins off she slumped into the sofa. She was well and truly bored. Seeing as how every potential was now a slayer, the watchers council had divided the world up for them all. She supposed it was better than the previous attitude of 'you're lucky if you live in the same town as the slayer, if not then you're screwed, sorry.' Faith had current custody of New Orleans and although it did have a higher supernatural rate than most towns there was no 'big bad', not even a 'kinda scary', just your average run of the mill boogieman and Faith was downright fed up of it. She was a girl who liked living on the edge; the adrenaline was what got her through half the stuff she had witnessed and it's what kept her company on long lonely evenings when even the fire couldn't keep her warm.

Unfortunately, as some people would see it, this caused Faith to do some thinking. Something else had to be keeping the monsters off the streets. Or at least different kinds of monsters. Willow had done some research while battling the First on ancient demons and gods and what the actual religious structure of the world was. If you knew whose god was right than you had a better chance of getting your prayers answered. It was good in theory. Though personally Faith believed considering the state of the world whatever god was out there didn't give two shits about humans. Willow had come up with an interesting hypothesis; she had stated that everyone's god or gods were real, just as much as every culture's myths and ghoulies were. Which then began the question of who was the ultimate good if the first was the ultimate evil? The answer hadn't been discovered until after the great gaping hole had replaced Sunnydale. The answer was it was neither good nor evil but just a primal source of power even more powerful than the first. The first had been a god worshipped by the first humans as the personification evil, and as humans continued to believe in evil, his power as a god grew and never diminished like the other prehistoric gods.

So every god ever believed in over the course of the universe existed or at least, had at some point existed. Which then brought Faith the thought that the gods couldn't possibly have created all those monsters, vampires, ghosts, demons and zombies and expected one girl to fight it all? No the job description answered that, 'vampire slayer,' that must mean logically speaking there were other types of slayers out there for other evils. Willow had surmised as much when she had finished her research but none of them had really cared at the time. They had seen no evidence of such people when they were patrolling or saving the world and they had a lot of Slayers to train and brief so the topic was dropped. Of course, no one thought, that these other people didn't intervene because they knew the outcome would be favourable and that they were neck deep in trying to save the world themselves from something completely different.

Faith rubbed her head slightly as she thought it all through again. Something else had to be out there and she was determined to find it. She needed something to alleviate her boredom and since nothing else was being evil enough this would have to do. After the First issue they had been so busy training new girls and setting up new Slayer rules and new watchers council and new…well everything that her monotonous life had settled in only a year ago. But she was going to break it if it killed her. The question was how? She knew all the vamp hang-outs in town and they only provided vampires, which while it was what she was supposed to be doing didn't exactly find her out any info. She considered ringing Willow on the matter but she didn't want to scare the red-head into thinking she was going 'bad' again. As much as they acted like they were fine with her, she merely had to say she was looking forward to patrolling for them to be giving each other shifty eyes.

Faith opened the laptop on the coffee table and logged on to check her emails. The usual sort of rubbish was there. Buffy still sunning herself in Rome, her territory, though Faith couldn't think what evil would go on there considering it was the pope's residence. Buffy was happy and Faith supposed after being the only sane slayer for a very long time she did deserve a break. There was an email from Giles updating them on the new territory outlines which was done weekly considering Slayers could be really bitchy about where they were posted. Faith could opt for a new position but she didn't want to lose what little excitement she already had by being in New Orleans. There was an email from Xander asking how she was and she replied with the usual 'Five by five' answer. There was even an email from Angel.

_Faith,_

_How's life down in the bayou?_

_A._

Man of few words as always. Maybe he could help her with her current predicament. After all, he never really said how he managed to make it out of the senior partner's army alive. Gunn was a vampire, Illyria had soul digestion issues but they were all alive. Faith considered Illyria as a link to what she was looking for but she was too old to know anything of the gods now. What if the mythical Powers that Be were gods? But surely gods wouldn't need anyone mortal to do their dirty work.

Faith once again rubbed her forehead as she felt a headache from all this 'thinking' coming on. Still she reckoned Angel may know something.

_Angel,_

_Dull, dull and dull. And don't think I don't realise you're asking 'how is life' and not' how are you' in an attempt to bypass my usual answer. That aside, do you know that a new Slayer is heading up to L.A? Seems after taking over evil lawfirm Giles still doesn't trust you, go figure. Anyway, I don't know her very well, name is Sarah Devons, but I'd make sure you tell her you and Spike have a soul as I'm not convinced Giles will have done you the honour. Speaking of which how are you two? Screwing each other yet? Don't think I don't know you both want to. You can deny it as much as you want but it is more than plain to see. Believe me. Plus I think you'll both be a lot less grouchy for it. But that is not the point of this overly long email. I need to know what you know on current Gods, and are there other powers out there other than us that are protecting mankind. Don't play dumb, I know you know something. Peace out._

_Faith._

Faith glanced at the clock on her computer: 04.00. There was a chance Angel would reply tonight but it wasn't too likely. Shunning her laptop she headed to the kitchen to make something to eat. Not one for cooking she placed some super noodles in a pan and grabbed a beer from the fridge. She was a girl of simple means if nothing else. She sighed leaning against the counter waiting for her food to boil. When was the last time she had taken someone home? She didn't like being tied to anyone so bringing someone into her bed when she had an itch scratch was always the best policy. It had always been the same way with her. She had been jealous over Buffy and Angel, what they had had. But that emotional lovey dovey stuff just wasn't for her. It made her itch just thinking about someone having that much control over her. Trusting people was something she was just not good at. She tried to find love, but it just did not exist in her world of death and horror. It wasn't that she was so cynical that she didn't believe love was out there, it just wasn't for a killer. Better off alone, sane and pain free, than with someone, insane and heartbroken.

Adding the flavour to her noodles she took a swig from her bottle, she really couldn't be bothered with bringing another person into her life. Even for a one night stand. Not that there was anything wrong with it, she often found herself getting frustrated over the way guys could sleep around and were dubbed players, she was a tiny bit promiscuous and she was named a slut. It was hardly fair. Yet, she was tired of it. Tired of taking strangers into her life just to have them walk out again leaving nothing but sticky sheets. It wasn't something she was interested in anymore.

Pouring out her noodles she dumped the pan in the sink and took her sustenance back to her laptop. She flicked on the TV putting it on to early morning episodes of C.S.I. just for some noise in the background. Sitting back in the sofa she turned her attentions back to her laptop. She actually had a reply from Angel. That was fast even with them both being nocturnal.

_Faith,_

_Of course there are other things out there saving the world. You don't really think the evil guys conveniently aligned themselves so they would harm us all one at a time? For similar reasons to us they don't want to be found. Every monster has their own personal Slayer. What we call werewolves even have their own type of hunters, so do demons that prowl sleep as well as ones that devour the soul, or ones that just like plain eating humans. They are quite happy with Slayers and Buffites alike not going near them. But if you must investigate, and by the fact you are asking me for help I can tell you are desperate. Go to a bar called Sanctuary. But for heaven's sake do not start any fighting there. They have very strict rules and Slayer or not I have no doubt they could slaughter you very easily. Their numbers are far greater before you pout. Whatever it is you are searching for I shouldn't have to tell you to be careful, but I've lost too many friends recently to not. If you need me I'm only a plane ride away._

_Oh and just so you know I am ignoring that comment about me and Spike. You are clearly still not fully sane._

_A._

Ok. Half four was a stupid time to go out to find a bar. Time to the hit the sack. Tomorrow before patrol she'd go check out this 'Sanctuary', see if something there would interest her.

* * *

Atropos fidgeted nervously in front of her other two sisters.

'She is going to end up finding him,' she exclaimed.

'Well that is the point when we mate people sis. I know with free will and all that, 28 per cent of were's miss their mates, but the point in the beginning is for them to find each other,' Clotho pointed out to her worrying sister.

'We mated them at birth, there is nothing we can do about it now,' Lachesis added.

'I wish I could see our own fate. Sasha was and is Astrid's best friend. If our beloved sister finds out we mated him to a vampire Slayer she will not be best pleased with us,' Atropos explained to the others.

'But if they find each other won't she be happy he has found love. Like her and Zarek.'

'Not to a Slayer she won't be. You know their life expectancies. If they bonded it would mean Sasha has little time left and if not then he would be left behind heartbroken,' Lachesis explained to Clotho. She turned to Atropos, 'What is her future like if she mates with Sasha?'

'It's undecided. Slayer's futures are far from our grasp you know that. They are too unpredictable and take far too much liberty with their free will. Faith Lehane was supposed to have died by Angel's hand years ago. She was destined to kill Wesley Wyndam-Pryce and in response she died. Last minute she goes against her desire to kill him and changes her course completely. She alone has done this about five times. Right now I see her going to Sanctuary and dying because the bears believe her a threat when she uses her usual tactics for getting information. But that outcome is fuzzy. We need to make sure this one happens. Sasha must not find her.'

'How can we guarantee she uses violence in sanctuary?'

'Send in vampires.'

'Are you sure about this Atty? We're interfering in a way we're not supposed to. If Acheron finds out we're taking away people's free will again…' Clotho trailed off. She didn't need to finish. Acheron was the one person they were afraid of. Ok, maybe they were afraid of Apollymi as well, and Savitar and anyone else connected to the primal source. But Acheron was the only one with a vested interest in them.

'It's only some vampires. Faith will take care of the rest herself.'


	2. Chapter 2

Faith rolled over trying to shake the dream that was plaguing her. She was walking through a biker bar. It was all foggy, she couldn't make out anything clearly, but her dream told her this was undoubtedly Sanctuary. As she walked towards the bar she felt herself get surrounded. Ten vampires, now this is what she was talking about, at least her dream self knew how to liven things up a little bit.

One vampire leapt at her and then it was on like Donkey Kong. He threw a punch and she blocked, another grabbed her before she had had a chance to counter. Back head butting the one who had picked her up she kicked the first one who was readying to attack again. She dropped her weight and threw the guy over her hip withdrawing the stake from its leg holder and stabbing it straight in the heart. One down.

A punch collided with the side of her face and the world spun for a second. She recovered quickly and fought the rest of the vampires easily, soon there was nothing but a pile of dust in the middle of the bar floor. Oh yeah, she was good. Too many humans were on looking and a lot of the bar staff were glaring. One of the stupidly tall guys came over to her. He looked like he was a combination of brick shit-house and Hollywood movie star.

'How dare you use violence here,' he snarled. Oh well, she might've thought of taking this one to bed. Never mind eh?

'Er, vampires. No problem, I accept your thanks,' she smiled. Now she was no 'girl next door' blond beauty like Buffy, but she knew she was a looker and the fact she fought for a living kept her body prime. This guy didn't even seem to register she was female. He just kept his eyes looked on her

'No violence means no violence. I don't care how many people they have killed, on this premise no one fights. Get out.'

'Excuse me? Did you not see them circling me?' At her refusal to move he seemed to get further enraged. Reaching to grab her arm she reacted instinctively to lock his wrist. Not the wisest move she would admit but a few years in prison and even more on the battlefield had her instincts honed to destroy before you get destroyed. But that was it. Now she was circled by all the men who worked here. She felt like a dwarf in the middle of them.

As the fight broke out she noticed they weren't human at all. In fact they had the same supernatural strength and speed she did which meant for one of the first times in her life she felt what it was like to be just like every other girl. She got clocked a few times but gave as good as she got until one caught her on a back fist. She was flung back and her head hit the bar. Her vision started to cloud as pain wrenched through her body.

Faith sat upright the sheets sticking to her body like cling film. She knew in the dream she had died. After everything she had been through it was going to be a head wound from a bad landing that was going to kill her. Oh that was so not how it was going to happen. Though why the hell she had prophesied it she didn't know. She was not the prophecy girl, that was Buffy. The PTB had never determined her important enough to warrant such an interference. So if she wasn't allowed to use violence in Sanctuary then she wouldn't. For now. If they started violence the bar stuff would intervene and she could fight outside. Now she was itching to go to that bar, just who were those men. She bit her lip feeling a little thrill of excitement run through her blood. She just had to make sure she didn't die.

* * *

It was one of those nights in which everything sucked. Which was pretty much every night as far as Sasha was concerned. He sat on a bar stool in Sanctuary, it was fast becoming the only place he could stay. With the Katagaria Slayers wanting him dead and the Sentinels wanting him dead there was little reprieve anywhere else. It was fine when he could team up with Astrid for a while, no one would dare go after him when he was at the justice nymph's side. But then she had to go fall in love with that psychopathic bastard. She had still needed his help occasionally when she had to go judge people but even now that had stopped cause of that brat of hers. Menopause or whatever it was called.

Alain was standing behind the bar over seeing the patrons, it was if he sensed something was off tonight. Sasha didn't care, it wasn't as if it was going to be that exciting whatever it was. When a family of were-bears run a bar, you can pretty much guarantee any fuck ups will be solved within ten minutes at the most. Sasha worked there most nights and spent his night off there, he lived in the back too. Desperate times and all that. Etienne, Kyle and Cody were behind the bar tonight which meant most of New Orleans single female population were hovering around. It had been a long time since he had taken a female to bed, he didn't exactly have a home to take them too. And the last time he had went home with one, Slayers had shown up and the rest wasn't pretty. It was fucking beautiful, in a carnage sort of way.

He sensed a change in the air behind him: vampires. They didn't often come into Sanctuary the no violence rule upsetting their murderous tendencies. Outside of the bar anyone of the were-hunters would happily dispatch them, but everyone obeyed Savitar's rules, everyone. Not soon after they had arrived, 'Sweet home Alabama,' blared over the dukebox interrupting The Howlers mid Godsmack tribute. Acheron had arrived and that song was the warning. You'd think someone with omniscient powers would know to show up at the end of the song. He wondered if Simi was loose tonight, he didn't want to be doing no Macarena again. That night still gave him shivers.

A young woman pulled up the stool next to him; it was the only seat free so he didn't snarl at her. She looked in her twenties, average height. She smelt like sandalwood which inexplicably made his skin tingle. She had an athletes body, slim and strong, it made his mouth water.

'D, hold the human hair,' he called.

'What did your last slave die of,' Dev snapped. He was one of the many bears who helped run the place. Personally Sasha thought he was an absolute tosser, but there you go.

'Me, and I'm a customer tonight, so serve me,' Sasha replied.

'I'll serve you your ass on a plate if you order me about, I'm a bouncer not a barman.'

'Devereux,' Alain called sternly and Sasha had to fight not to grin. Scowling Dev went about pouring the drink. As he past the drink over Dev noticed the woman in the chair next to Sasha.

'What will you have?' he said leaning casually on the bar. She seemed to consider the question for a moment looking intently between the two boys. As her charcoal eyes stared at him he felt his heart rate double.

'Hold the human hair,' she said.

'You sure?' Dev asked her. Sasha knew she wasn't a were-hunter but she could have been another type of immortal. 'It's strong.'

'I'm strong so get to pouring,' she answered and Sasha was impressed especially since Dev looked taken a back. He got the drink for her. Dev looked as if he was about to say something else when another customer called him over. Sasha looked back toward the girl as she downed the drink. Her eyes widened as she started coughing.

'Wow, no kidding about the strong part.' She thumped her chest with her fist. Sasha raised an eyebrow, she was handling it better than a mortal would but not as well as an immortal. But before he could question it, something loomed toward them at the periphery of his vision. Acheron. The 6ft 8 god stood next to them his female close to his side. Sasha didn't have much of an opinion about her. She was so plain it was hard to like or dislike her. He guessed Acheron had found something in her Sasha just couldn't see. Either way the immortal warrior never looked so at peace than when he was with her.

'Sasha,' he said as way of a greeting. 'Faith.' The girl looked up at him her brows knitted.

'How do you know me?' she asked suspicion dripping over her words. That was a good question, how did Acheron know anything? Because he was damn fucking powerful. There's not much that can make a wolf run for cover but he was one of them.

'I know of the work you do around here and you do a good job, don't have to police you like most of my men. I didn't want that to stop,' he said any expression hidden behind his wraparound sunglasses. He turned his attention to Alain, 'Stand down, disaster prevented.'

'He's Ash and I'm Tory,' the girl next to Acheron stated holding her hand out for Faith. She shook it but with visible amounts of trepidation. Her eyes shifted between the two obviously wondering why they were together. Acheron was styled the same as ever: black t-shirt, black leathers, black heavy metal boots and a nose ring, his hair a deep purple. Next to him Tory wore a long chocolate brown skirt and peasant blouse; her hair in two sedate bunches. 'He likes being cryptic but don't worry, he's one of the good guys. So is he by the way,' she indicated Sasha with her head. 'No matter how much he bites.'

Sasha frowned in Tory's direction and began to say a retort but then Acheron looked at him and he had a sudden vision of being castrated, so he opted for staying quiet. They smiled and walked away. Well wasn't that a nice interlude to the night. Looking back at Faith he noticed she'd been eying him again and his face grew hot.

'So, what are you?' he asked, did his voice just rumble? She looked ahead for a moment towards the drink, as if she was contemplating whether to actually say or not.

'I'm a Slayer,' she said. Sasha felt his heart drop, no not this one. How did she get so damn close to him before he realised. He swore under his breath before going behind the back of the bar to get himself a drink. Maman noticed but didn't seem to mind. He went back to stand beside her because even though she might be a Slayer she was the finest Slayer he had seen in a long while.

'So what are you then, bear, pantha, tiger?' He knew without a doubt she wasn't a lykos. She couldn't get that over on him.

'Huh? What drugs have you been taking? I'd like to say I was more tiger than bear but really I'm more school girl dominatrix.'

Sasha froze, completely dumbfounded. His mind was already whirring with image of her in a schoolgirl outfit…and chains. All the blood had left his head and was rushing full throttle elsewhere.

'You said you were a Katagaria Slayer,' he said. He still couldn't recognise his own voice, this time cause of how strained it sounded. But with that image in his head and the leather pants she was wearing he could barely think. He was used to 90% of the males he knew wearing leather pants, custom made, great to fight in. He had never thought of them as particular attractive items until now as they hugged her legs fiercely. He wanted to be that close to her skin.

'Er no. Whatever that is, I said I was a Slayer, a Vampire Slayer. Dude get your Slayers right.'

A Vampire Slayer? Well that explained it, and it was hard to deny the relief that sped through him. Yet, that meant she was mortal. Human. A super human but still a human and so the disappointment came back. Just when had he started contemplating her being his mate? It did however, explain why Maman was on edge, after all, vampires and a slayer in the same bar. Especially one who didn't know the rules.

'So you're a Buffite?'

'Are you kidding me? Argh that stupid Andrew, selling our story. I am not a Buffite, I am Faith Lehane, my own person, I control my own town and still can't escape her shadow. I'm taller than her so that's just not fair. Get me more of that human hair stuff.'

Sasha was convinced her outburst wasn't entirely sober. But if she wanted to get pissed who was he to stop her. So he did get her another drink.

'There are fighting laws in place here, but you've never been before and you haven't started a fight with that group of vampires over there. How come?'

'I had a dream.'

'Acheron,' Sasha said nodding. It all made sense. Which was irritating because he didn't want it to make sense, he wanted her to be something other than human because for once he thought he might have found his mate. The way his body was thrumming just to be closer to her. He wanted to bury his face in her chocolate coloured hair. It was a reaction so strong to a woman that he was convinced on their magnetism being supernatural.

'Acheron? What's an Acheron when it's at home?' she asked swaying slightly on her seat. Oh that was not fair, she was getting pissed without him. He grabbed another drink.

'The guy before, Ash. That's just a nickname, his full name is Acheron Parthenopaeus and I'll be a fluffy puppy if he wasn't the one who sent you that dream.'

'Why would he send me a dream that…That helped me?' she asked, throwing another one of the drinks down her neck.

'Who knows why Acheron does anything. Just be grateful and forget about it.'

More drinks were definitely needed. So he ordered them, he had to be careful though, if he passed out in front of her he would resort to his wolf form and being a Vampire Slayer she might actually mistake him for a werewolf and kill him. Wait, was he considering going home with her? She would be fine if the Slayers or Sentinels attacked which suddenly made her even more attractive in his eyes.

'What are you then?' Faith said, 'Other than tall and hot.' Sasha coughed in surprise, why was it that every time she opened her mouth she had to shock him somehow. At least she thought he was hot, that had be worth something.

'What do you mean?' he asked recovering. She gave him a look which told him straight up to stop being an ass and just tell her. 'I am a Katagaria Wolf. It's erm… like a werewolf but not. More like a wolfwere.' Oh god he was trying to explain this to her drunk.

'A Wolfwere, so a wolf that turns human?'

'Yes exactly. We turn human to eat and mate.' Faith smiled at the last comment something lighting in her dark eyes.

'To mate huh? Since you're a wolf does that mean you prefer it to be doggy style,' she winked. Sasha felt his brain melt at the image, oh yes he would love to take her doggy style. As well as every other style he could think of in one night. She might not be his mate but he was damn sure he was going to mate her.

'Do you want to find out?' Sasha had never been one for charm. Charm and any sort of manipulation were beyond him like it was for many of the Katagaria, they were born with animal hearts, and they could not understand human deception.

'Your place or mine?' She asked standing up. The leathers stretched so beautifully over her ass that he found himself straining against his own pants.

'Yours,' because he lived in the back of the bar with about twenty other animals. She started heading toward the door and Sasha dutifully followed. If he hadn't been preoccupied with staring at her ass as she moved he might have sensed the vampires following them outside.

The night was warm, humid. But it could have been on fire and he wouldn't have cared. Part of him thought maybe it was taking advantage considering how much she had drunk, but then again he'd drunk a hell of a lot as well so maybe she was taking advantage of him. They only got a couple of blocks away when the vampires attacked.

'Oh I forgot about you guys,' she said. Bending down she lifted the right leg of her pants and took out the wooden stake strapped there. He didn't want to admit it but there was something incredibly sexy about her concealing weapons. She gripped the stake firmly in her hand and settled into a comfortable stance. Sasha was a male wolf, an Alpha, and they protected their women. He was itching to get into the fight, but something told him if he got in the way of this kill he wasn't going to be getting any tonight, and he really really wanted some. So he stood off to the side his arms folded across his chest, he would interfere if he needed to.

Two of the vampires went after her at the same time so she chose to block to the outside of the left one, rolling his head back so his chest was bared she stabbed him turning him to dust. One of the others grabbed her hair but she back fisted him in the balls, turning and slamming her foot on his head. Before she had a chance to stab him another had her waist and picked her up. She started running her heels into the man's shins until he dropped her. She elbowed the guy in the stomach and turned to stab him.

Sasha was following his plan of not getting involved but then the two vampires decided to start on him and he wasn't one to back down from a fight. The first one that ran at him and Sasha punched him in the nose before he even considered how to attack. The next he had more of a boxing spar with, eventually getting under the vampire's guard and throwing him over.

'Faith I have two for you to dust over here,' he said standing on the pile of two bodies with one foot. As she finished dusting her lot she looked over unimpressed.

'They were mine,' she said sternly but with a little pant to her breath.

'Hey they came after me, and I didn't even have to turn into a wolf so I think it's safe to say they wouldn't have given you any excitement.' She shrugged and staked the two bodies. She was still panting a little. He grabbed her by the shoulders. Watching her fight had been amazing, the way her limbs moved was pure grace, she was born to fight and it was strikingly obvious.

Pulling her into him he leant over and kissed her. Her lips were so soft but she was anything but giving. She fought him constantly for dominance. His tongue was in her mouth and she nipped his tongue slightly before pushing back entering his. She massaged his tongue with hers and he groaned. She tasted exquisite and he wanted to keep on tasting her. His hands threaded through her hair tugging at the silk strands. She moaned into his mouth as she pulled his tongue back into her mouth. She pulled away from him despite his slight murmur of protest.

'We should take this inside.'


	3. Chapter 3

Oh god, what was she doing? Faith was taking another man home to bed, hadn't she decided that this was a bad idea? But he was gorgeous and the way he growled into her mouth had her knees buckling. The bar had been full of beautiful and fearsome men but Sasha made something flutter inside of her, and she'd be damned if she'd ever admit it might have been butterflies.

Pulling him by the hand Faith dragged him in the direction of her home. His hand in hers seemed to fan the flames already alight in her stomach. If she didn't get them to hers soon she was going to take him in the street. Somehow she didn't think he would mind all that much either. She nearly broke out into a run but she just managed to stay at a very brisk power walk. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as they came to her door and she considered just kicking down.

As soon as they were inside she grabbed him by the collar of his black shirt and pulled him onto her lips. His hands were on her hips pulling them against his own. She moaned at the sheer size his erection against her stomach. Not wanting to let any worries about what she was letting herself in for get to her, she used her grip on his shirt to pull him toward the stairs.

It was difficult to manoeuvre them both up the stairs without either falling over or stop kissing. But she was a Vampire Slayer and he was…whatever he said he was, so between them their abilities managed to get them upstairs and to Faith's bedroom. As she felt the bed hit her calves she allowed herself to fall backward pulling Sasha on top of her. She licked his lips playfully before stealing them with her own. His kiss was hard and her toes were curling. He left her lips and started laying kisses on her neck; her skin seemed to fire up after every one.

He slipped one hand under her back and used it to lift her up as his other hand pulled at her vest top. He struggled to pull the top off one-handed, he growled in irritation against her neck and she moaned at the feral action. Knowing he would keep her up with his hand she let go of his collar and pulled off the top herself, her back arching in his hold. She still had her black bra on but his iced eyes became molten as he stared at her chest. He bent his head and kissed her nipple through the fabric. She felt the heat of his mouth and the damp lace as he sucked and nipped at her. Desire pooled deep in her stomach and she felt heat flare at her core. She cried out as he used his other hand to pinch the other nipple.

He ripped the bra free of her and if she had any mind she might've yelled at him but her brain was a melted mess of lust. His mouth returned to sucking her now swollen nipple. She was lost in the heat, 'Now,' she moaned. She ached for him to be inside her. The physical need burned throughout her entire body. He smirked and she felt a duel flutter of fear and anticipation. He was teasing her and that was something she wasn't used to.

Continuing his feast on her breasts he lowered her back on the bed so he could use the hand to unzip her leathers. She put a hand on his chest and groaned in protest.

'Your shirt first,' she demanded breathlessly. She took her time sitting up and pulling him fully on the bed so he was kneeling opposite her. She kissed his neck, tasting his skin as she sucked and licked at the vein. Her hands worked at his buttons, slowly undoing them. She bit lightly at his neck and he growled again pushing her down to lie on the bed.

Normally she would have fought this display of dominance but she allowed him to continue, he was willing to worship her body, who was she to stop him? This time his face came down to her body he kissed the skin beneath her breasts, trailing lines down her stomach. His hands were around the rim of her leathers and he stood back off the bed to pull them and her panties off in one swing. He kissed her ankle caressing gently up her calf, his lips followed the path his hands were taking, laying his lips against the line of her leg. He continued kissing her gently, along her thigh. She looked down at him in confusion. He was treating her like a lover, not a one night stand. She wasn't use to this. But as his lips found her inner thigh she moaned.

Ignoring her obvious request he moved to the other leg, starting again at the ankle. She whimpered in frustration and she felt the grin against her leg. Again she waited in anticipation, the fire building up once more. As he got to the second thigh her hands clenched the sheets, he was driving her mad. She cried out as one finger stroked her. He had built up the desire so high she almost climaxed from the one stroke.

'You're so wet for me,' he murmured against her thigh. 'I want to taste it.' He lifted his finger to his lips and licked her moisture from it. 'So good.' She whimpered again. This damn wolf was making jelly of her and yet she couldn't seem to mind, all she wanted was those lips against her again. His tongue licked at her, it was better than his lips. He delved into her, penetrating her with his tongue as she moaned. She was lost in a whirlwind of fire, he kept it up, the flames raising, throbbing, pulsing. The pressure intensifying. Then he licked her clit nibbling slightly on the sensitised area. He sucked and licked, alternating until the pressure had built so high she could do nothing but scream as it took over. She was nothing but pure pain and pleasure. He licked her until her orgasm finished, seemingly wanting her every last drop. It was enough to make her aroused again, despite her still panting from the orgasm.

Faith couldn't believe it, it had been a lifetime since she had experienced anyone kissing her in such a way. Men in for a one night stand were the most selfish out there. But this guy had seemed to love it. He continued to lick her rekindling the flames that had been diminished. He knelt up then and unzipped his jeans. As he sprung free she gasped. He had been commando, and he was just as large as she had initially assumed. Her heart rate soared. Leaning over her he entered her with one finger at first, swirling it around till Faith had no choice but to moan for more. He added another finger, making sure she was going to be completely ready for him. She was close again, and she begged him to keep going.

He stopped and she frowned. He positioned himself over her and Faith was suddenly scared he might be too big for her. But she was no coward and her mouth watered at the challenge. She wiggled her hips to try and relieve some of the tension he'd left her with but he used his hands on her pelvis to keep her still. She was about to protest when he fully entered her. She cried out in a twisted mix of agony and bliss. He fit her so tightly she felt completely taken over. He withdrew and pushed back in and she gasped. He was amazing. He started to thrust faster and all the flames surrounded her again. She wanted it harder, faster; she bucked her own hips to meet his. So much heat, their entire world was ablaze. She screamed as she came. He roared.

His orgasm seemed to last forever before he withdrew from her and lay on the bed beside her panting. Faith didn't even want to attempt moving, she was still shaking. Sleep, yeah, she was going to sleep.

* * *

Faith woke feeling sated and, dare she say it, happy. As she rolled over she nearly had a heart attack. A white timber wolf lay fast asleep next to her. So this is what he meant? Did this mean she had gone so freaky she was now into bestiality? As long as he was human when they had sex she didn't care what form he liked to take. Wait. Did that mean she was considering something more than a one night stand? No, no, she was just theorising.

She couldn't help staring at the wolf. He was beautiful, and so peaceful. She wanted to stroke him, to run her hands through his white fur and feel the softness. She reached out but decided against it, he was an animal, and he would probably bite off her hand if she startled him awake. So her hand hovered away from him and her wrist began to burn.

She pulled it back and scratched it but she didn't want to break her stare just yet. When he woke he would turn back to human form and leave and she wouldn't see him again. For now she just wanted to look at this magnificent being. She was actually happy after a one night stand, there was no regret, just a sort of sadness that she wouldn't experience him anymore.

Eventually she turned her attention to her wrist to see what was making it itch so badly. There were markings all over, almost as if from another language. They were a deep red-brown, like someone had given her a henna tattoo in her sleep. She was sure she hadn't woken with this on her wrist. Looking closer at the symbols she tried to see if she recognised the language, if she did she would know who to get on the case. But there was nothing she noticed that would help, guess that meant she had to go to the all-knowing rather than the specific knowing.

Getting up she went to her wardrobe and grabbed a park of dark jeans and a black t-shirt. Throwing on some underwear first she quickly put on the clothes and headed to her living room. She turned on the laptop before going through to her kitchen to put on the kettle. By the time she had finished making her coffee the laptop had loaded and was ready to go. Looking at her Skype she was pleased to see Willow was indeed online. It was ten in New Orleans so it must have been four in the afternoon in London.

She clicked it to call and set immediately to video.

'Faith?' Willow came into view on the screen. She was wearing a pink t-shirt with a green alien on the front. Willow was brilliant but god Faith wanted to burn all the clothes she owned.

'Hey Red, do you know what this is?' Faith and Willow's friendship was tenuous at best. Not that Faith could blame her; she had pretty much hurt everyone Willow had cared about. If Faith had to call Willow or visa versa it was always straight to the point. So Faith displayed her new ink to the witch.

'Erm, it's a wrist. A slayer wrist,' Willow replied her red eyebrows nearly together in what looked like confusion.

'Funny, what does that writing mean?' she asked again. Her heart sank as Willow got that look on her face.

'There is no writing there,' she said it slowly, devoid of her usual idiolect. Oh god, she thought Faith was insane. Again. She could see it now, she would ring Giles who would ring Buffy and then she would get a visit off the perky blonde thing. Buffy was her friend…when she was in a different country.

'Are you sure? Are their spells where only the person can see the marks?' It didn't matter anymore what it was. Only that Willow didn't think she was crazy.

'Well yes, why don't you make me a copy of what you think see and I'll search that?'

'Yeah I'll do that after patrol,' Faith said ending the call. She diplomatically ignored Willow's choice of words.

So whatever these marks were only she could see them, which sucked. She didn't feel any different. She punched the air a few times and followed it with a front kick. Her movement was fine. She picked up the sofa, yup her slayer strength was a-ok. She sincerely hoped Willow was not going to rat her out just yet. She knew this had to be something. Besides if she was going to crazy again she wanted it to be more fun than hallucinating weird symbols on her arm.

She could hear some movements upstairs and she reckoned Sasha was awake at least. She heard him swear, loudly. What the hell? She didn't think he would regret the one night stand especially if she didn't. What did he have to be angry about, his orgasm had lasted ten minutes. He came downstairs so fast the whole ground shook as he landed. He rushed into the living room with only his jeans on. It was a terrific sight. Her mouth watered just looking at him topless. He had such defined muscles she could spend all day just stroking and licking them. She wanted to touch.

Dragging her eyes from his chest to his face didn't help much. He was handsome, immeasurably so. His eyes were the palest sharpest blue she had ever seen and his hair was so blond it was almost the same colour of his wolf pelt. He marched over to her and grabbed her wrist. He swore again and that's when she noticed the same mark on his wrist.

'You can see this?' she said waving her wrist at him. He nodded. 'But Willow couldn't.' She frowned. Could only Sasha see it because he had one himself?

'Only other were-hunters can see it. You can because you have it,' he commented absently. As if his mind was completely elsewhere.

'Well what does it mean?' she prompted. He looked straight at her and his eyespierced through her. He just stared. She started to feel uncomfortable and squirmed a little under the intense gaze. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, the action making his chest heave in the most wonderful way.

'It means that we are mates,' he said calmly.

'Well it's nice you think we're friends and all but it was just one night,' Faith replied.

'Not that sort of mate. It means we are supposed to be together.'

Faith was confused. Then she remembered he was a wolf, and a mate to a wolf was a life long partner. She felt ill.

'Oh no. I am no one's mate. Impossible. I don't even do one month relationships, nope sorry you have the wrong girl. Take this symbol off me and be on your way.'

'I wish I could,' he snarled. Oh well wasn't that nice. 'This was pre-destined by the fates. There is no choice you are my mate. The choice is only in whether you accept it or not. But there is only one.'

'Well I don't accept,' she said instantly. She was not being anyone's mate. She was a slayer, she wasn't going to live that long anyway and she didn't want to spend her short life tied down to someone.

'You have three weeks to choose whether to accept me or not. If you don't I'll be impotent for rest of my life and you'll never be able to have children. But until those three weeks are up you will have my scent. All other were's will recognise you as my mate,' he finished.

'So I'm the equivalent of a tree you pissed up,' she yelled. 'You basically married me and are giving me three weeks to decide whether I want to annul it and putting your sexual future in my hands. Get out!' He didn't and that angered her more. How dare he put any of this on her, she would skin him. He looked completely unafraid and she wanted to scream.

'A lot of people want me dead,' he explained.

'Add me to the list,' she bit back.

'They will use you to get to me. If any of them scent you they will kill you. The best way to hurt a were is to kill his mate.'

'I'm a Slayer.'

'What happened in your dream when a bunch of weres took you on?' He insinuated she was weak and that was the last straw. Screw him leaving she was going. He grabbed her wrist to pull her back as she walked past him. She responded by punching him straight in the face. It was like punching an anvil and she had no doubt if she was human her hand would be broken. She didn't look back to see if she had done any damage. She just wanted gone.

The air was humid outside and too claustrophobic, she didn't feel as if she could breathe. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and called Willow. Bitch needed to know she wasn't crazy.

'Hi Faith,' she answered.

'What do you know about were-hunters?'

'Long story, but basically Apollo made a race of people same as Zeus except they betrayed him so he cursed them to die horribly at the age of twenty seven as well as some other nasty things. He isn't a very nice god. A King married one of them and he was distraught when she had died, she had left him with two sons cursed with the same fate. So he starts experimenting with merging people of the race together with animals in the hopes of making them strong enough to survive. Hence were-hunters were born. They live twelve times that of a human, are super strong have some mystical powers other than being able to change form, like going back in time, which would be really awesome, you could back and meet people, like Elvis.'

'Willow,' Faith warned not wanting a rant about Elvis.

'Sorry, the king made two types, Acardian: they are humans who can turn into an animal and Katagaria: animals who can turn into human. They do have wolves but they are very different from the werewolves we've hunted.'

'Anything else I need to know?'

'I don't even know why you need to know this much, but anyway, the fates got pissed and cursed them so that the two sides would war with each other until they were annihilated each other. The Arcadians think Katagaria are vicious blood thirsty animals and the Katagaria reckon Arcadians are deceptive, manipulative and sneaky.'

'What about mates?'

'Well they all supposedly have one mate that the fates pre-destine them to be with at birth. Some never find theirs which is really sad. But you can tell if your mated by a mark that appears on the wrist after the first time you sleep to-'

'Will-'

'You're mated to one!' Willow practically screamed down the phone.

'There goes my eardrum,' Faith complained. 'And I'm going to decline.'

'But that leaves him impotent.'

'Not my problem.'

'What is he?'

'Katagaria wolf.'

'That doesn't make sense, Katagaria don't mate to humans.'

'Maybe being a Slayer makes it ok somehow?'

'Maybe, but are you sure you want to decline? You can't go back once the three weeks are up. You can't change your mind later.'

'I won't. I don't want a mate or husband or any sort of partner for that matter. Guess this means you don't need to tell Giles I'm hallucinating.'

'I wasn't go-'

'Yes you were. Got to go. Thanks for the help red.'


	4. Chapter 4

For a moment all Sasha felt was pain and he swore. The hit had been so unexpected it had actually landed smack on the bridge of his nose. Immediately his eyes started to tear up unable to ignore the strike to his sinuses. He moved his hand to underneath his nose and pulled it away to see the blood. Aw, for fuck's sake. He knew it wasn't broken and it only mildly throbbed but he was going to be stuck with his nose sniffling and possibly bleeding for the rest of the day.

Fine. She could go, let her get caught by Slayers and Sentinels. If she was going to be a bitch about the whole thing then she could die for all he cared. Trouble was he did care, a lot. There was an anxiety swirling in his stomach at the thought of any one of his hunters finding his female. She might not have accepted him, but he was still hers and he'd be damned if anyone else but him touched her.

Swearing again he ran upstairs. He had to follow Faith before she got herself into trouble. He would have normally turned straight into a wolf and loped after her. But with his nose bunged up with blood he wouldn't be able to scent her very well. He would have to wait 'til it healed a bit before transforming. Running into the bathroom he hunted through the cupboards; the warm blood now trickling onto his upper lip.

It didn't take him long to find what he was looking for and he delved into the box of tampons. It would be better if he could cut one in half, but he didn't have time to hunt for scissors so he shoved one tampon up each nostril, wincing in a very unmanly way at the sharp pain. Satisfied he grabbed his shirt out of the bedroom before rushing out the house and after the Slayer.

Outside he followed his instinct and turned left. It was a hot day, no surprise, in New Orleans. He felt strained, he didn't like being in human form during the day, it itched underneath his skin. Unlike some of the younger wolves he had no problem holding this form in daytime, but it still didn't feel right.

Rushing off in the direction he hoped she had taken. He knew people were staring, he wanted to snarl at them but he had pressing matters, and he did have two tampons sticking out of his nose so he kind of understood where they were coming from. He heard her voice so he slowed to a walk. If he caught completely up to her she would probably freak out again and he didn't need another hit to the nose. It had stopped hurting but he still felt bunged up and his eyes were still watering.

She was asking about mates. That was a good sign, until she said she didn't want a partner. But at least that meant it wasn't a personal insult. He could to a certain degree understand how she felt. He was independent, ruthless not to mention hunted, he was in no position to accommodate a mate, nor did he want to. He didn't even know if he liked her. All he did know was he would be impotent if they didn't accept each other and he did not want to spend the rest of his life without sex. Especially after last nights example.

He didn't know where she was heading, just some sort of aimless journey, they were on St Ann's street and he thought for a moment she might've been heading down Bourbon but she just kept going. Despite his nose still feeling bunged up from the hit he could smell the sandalwood on her easily. He enjoyed stalking her, made him feel like the wolf he was, chasing his prey. She probably knew he was following her, she wasn't a slayer for nothing. But he doubted she could pin point his location. He was good.

Ah, she was going to Decatur Steet. She made her way to Café du Monde and he waited outside, hidden. His senses were on high alert. He didn't want to run into anyone today. Especially anyone who worked at Sanctuary, he didn't want it getting to anyone he was now mated. The queues were often long in the café but he knew when she hadn't come out for a while she was deliberately sitting inside.

He heard a noise behind him, he turned and immediately snarled at the man he was now faced with.

'You're fine then,' Zarek stated looking down at the Sasha. He didn't know why the pyschopath had decided to drop by but he wasn't happy. Just what the hell did Astrid see in this moron. 'Tampons?' Zarek didn't laugh but the humour was in his eyes.

'Shut up,' Sasha snapped.

'You should learn not to take your PMS out on strangers. Do you want to talk about your feelings?'

Sasha growled low in his throat. 'Why are you here?'

'Astrid was worried.'

'Why?'

'Overheard her sisters talking about you. She wasn't that bothered at the time but she tried to see you at Sanctuary. Obviously you weren't there.'

'She could have come now herself.'

'She was up with Bob all night. I offered.' Sasha often considered himself tough, but while Sasha may be a grade B badass Zarek was grade A and top of the class. Yet, when it came to Astrid the man was softer than a kitten. Would Faith make him act that way?

'What did the fates say?'

'She didn't hear anything more than your name,' Zarek replied. He looked at Sasha for a moment his staring into him. 'You've found your mate.'

'Yes.' There was no point in denying once Zarek had sensed it. It just made Sasha hate him more. There seemed to be a smirk in Zarek's eyes but as usual his face remained impassive.

'Poor woman.' Zarek stated and then he was gone. Sasha just stared at the space for a moment. On the bright side Zarek would probably tell Astrid about the mate but no one else. When it came to personal things Zarek was the prince of keeping silent. However, the fact he was wearing tampons in his nose would be circling through everyone he knew this very moment.

Sasha was brought back to Faith when he scented her leaving the café. She was probably annoyed he was still stalking her, tough, he was going to keep at it anyway. Her safety was far more important than her liking him. After all it's not as if she could like him if she was dead. Though, if the Katagaria Slayers got hold of her she'd face something worse than death. They weren't known for their mercy.

He looked around the corner to spy her swaying hips as she sashayed out of the restaurant, she was doing it deliberately. That much was obvious by the way she looked behind herself to smirk. He was struck again by how she made his blood race. All he wanted at that moment was to take her home and repeat the previous night's escapades. As a Were-hunter he had no problems with stamina, but after their first time Faith had rolled over and fell immediately asleep. It had shocked him, he was ready for round two and she was out for the count.

He waited till she had turned into the next street before following her. He stopped. They had found her. Pulling the tampons out of his nose he transformed himself to his natural state, not caring for the ripped remains of his clothes. He couldn't scent who it was which meant that he had never met them before, they smelt like Sentinels. Katagaria may be vicious with their punishments but Sentinels were humans and they would be more sadistic with their torture. It was often the case that if an Arcadian woman ever mated with a Katagaria they would punish her by handing her over to the unmarried Arcadians to be raped, so she was treated like the animal she was mated to, apparently not many survived. It made Sasha sick, they said Katagaria needed to be put down because they were nothing but violent animals, it seemed to Sasha they needed to look closer in the mirror.

He darted around the corner.

Faith was standing facing three Arcadians, only one was a Sentinel. They must have only stumbled upon her by accident. They may not even be interested in him. He stayed back, they may not pay attention to his scent on her but they would notice him parading about in public.

'Sasha's mate,' one grinned. Oh well, so much for that theory.

'He's the one that got away with murder,' another one said. This one was had short dark blond hair, he was masking the scent of his animal. Faith wasn't moving, she just stared at them, if she was smart she would have worked out from what Sasha said that these men were deadly.

'And?' She commented. 'Who hasn't gotten away with murder at one time or another?' Ok so maybe she wasn't smart. The blond haired one was obviously offended by the comment.

'He rallied against a god! He is obviously a Slayer. He was judged incorrectly!' the Arcadian shouted.

'Against a god, hmm? I would say I have as well but that would be a lie. Buffy did that. Unless you count the First as a god; in which case yes I did.' She placed one hand on her hip and even in wolf form Sasha wanted to cover that hand with his own.

'You're not Katagaria,' the third one stated. He was shorter than the other two with black hair.

'Wow, you're clever, sorry I'm all out of gold stars. I'm leaving now.' She began to walk around them but one grabbed her shoulder. She turned to face him. 'You're powerful, I get that. But I will make you suffer if you lay your hand on me again.' Pride swelled within Sasha, she was magnificent. The Arcadian genuinely looked shocked at what she said and loosened his grip. She continued walking. The one with the blond hair transformed into a jackal and he pounced. She reacted instantly; she spun round and landed a kick on the jackal's jaw. He landed poised ready for another attack.

Sasha sprinted forwards and positioned himself next to Faith. He fought his urge to stand in front of her; he felt if he did she would pull his tail. He crouched low, his ears flat against his head. The jackal stepped back looking to the other two. He was probably waiting for orders.

'Hello Sasha.'

What do you want with me? He projected the thoughts into the Sentinel's head.

'One more animal that needs putting down. Where is Bast to help your blood lust now?'

That was nearly four hundred years ago, you need to stop living in the past.

'Is your insanity in the past?'

I am not Slayer. I never was. Leave her out of this.

'She is mated to you she is equally responsible.'

She has declined.

'That is unfortunate for you but changes nothing. She shall be killed along with you.'

'You can try,' she scoffed. Sasha had to appreciate her confidence no matter how much it was misguided. Then again it was two against three; they could be in with a chance if the other jackal was as shit as the first. The sentinel would prove the issue, he wondered if Fury was around. He hated that damn alpha but he knew he would fight alongside him as Lykos if the jackals attacked. Would Constantine get involved then? If he did this would end up on a large scale, maybe even being brought before Savitar. No one wanted that. So utilising the help of Fury, Fang or Vane was not an option. Not to mention he had no way of getting their attention.

He growled. Snapping his jaws in their direction as a warning. Faith was in a stance. The one already transformed didn't wait for an order, he launched himself at Sasha who moved to the side and went for the jackal's neck. The jackal was quick though and managed to move out the way and go for another attack. They continued this way for a while. He risked a glance out the corner of his eye to notice Faith fighting with the other Arcadian in human form. She seemed to be keeping up well enough. However, the brief moment he wasn't focusing on his fight was all the Jackal needed. He locked his jaws around Sasha's neck.

The bite wasn't deep but it hurt like a bitch. Sasha reacted instantly to bite his way through the jackals throat as he moved away. The blood filled his mouth soaking his teeth. The jackal backed off. His neck crimson with blood. He would live, but not if he didn't get help. Sasha looked back to Faith ignoring the pain blossoming over his neck. He ran to attack the Sentinel but he was already transporting with the injured jackal. The one fighting Faith also vanished. He had no doubt they would be back later.

Faith turned to look at him. She had a bruise appearing at the corner of her mouth and she had a couple of claw marks on her arms but nothing major. She frowned and knelt down in front of him. She had dark coffee eyes and they roamed over his wolf form. He felt agitated, he fought the urge to attack her on instinct. Her hand reached to his neck and examined the injury. She pulled it away, her fingers crimson with his blood.

He wanted to tell her he was fine but he didn't think he could communicate with a Vampire Slayer, so he returned to his human form; summoning clothes from his room at Sanctuary. His injury hurt even more as a human but it wasn't bad enough for him to need to stay as a wolf.

'Are you ok?' Sasha asked.

'Five by five,' she replied eyes locked firmly on him. 'Hungry?'

'What?'

'I get hungry after a fight and you have some more explaining to do. I fancy gumbo. But then I would miss watching Maury if we went out. We could get takeaway and head back to mine?'

'They will be back. If we head to Sanctuary we will be protected while we talk. You can watch your Maury in my room and they serve gumbo.'

'Alright.' Sasha was shocked she had agreed and even more perturbed at having all of Sanctuary realise what was going on. But if he was going to explain why every Were-Hunter wanted him dead he didn't want to get interrupted by angry jackals. 'But I want beer with my gumbo.'

'Done.'


	5. Chapter 5

As they walked toward Ursulines Faith noticed a slight sheen of sweat over Sasha's brow. She frowned. He didn't seem to care his neck was bleeding profusely and that he only kept it barely manageable with his hand.

'Are you okay?' She didn't suggest going to hospital, one she hated them, a byproduct of spending a year in a coma. Two: supernatural beings had a habit of healing fine without them; three: they would have to explain a lot. He nodded at her but she wasn't convinced. But hey, who was she to make him spill all secrets, it's not like she cared anyway.

As they reached the door to Sanctuary the barman who served them their drinks was on the door. Dev was his name. His arms folded across his chest as he leant back casually. He looked bored and tired, but she sensed the air of power around him the same way she did Sasha. He wasn't the one who killed her in her dream, but he was identical to the one who was.

'Wolf, didn't know you were into the rough stuff,' he said looking at Sasha's neck.

'Bite me Bear,' Sasha snarled back.

'Don't have to, someone already did. Your old play mates decided to throw you a party?'

'Arcadian jackals.'

'You are popular,' Dev grinned. Sasha glared unamused, but that might have been because he was still bleeding. 'Carson's in the back. She can stay out here.'

'She knows, and she stays with me.'

' _She_ , will go where _she_ wants to go thanks,' Faith objected. 'Which is with him.' They both raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed. Alpha men were hopeless and she had no doubt these two were alpha in their species.

'Neck first then gumbo,' he said as they walked through into the back. There was a lot of security around the place, more fool anyone trying to break in. As they went into what appeared to be a medical room, Sasha lay on the bed and yelled for Carson. As the man entered she had to wonder whether being ridiculously tall was just a trait of were-hunters in general. He had the same air that Sasha and Dev did except his was a power that simmered quietly, calm. The piano sonata to Sasha's metal.

He walked over to the table his eyebrow raised slightly at her before he turned his attention to Sasha.

'Why aren't you in wolf form?' he asked.

'It's not important doc, stitch me up please,' Sasha replied.

'Why would he be in wolf form?' Carson opened one of the cupboards to get out the appropriate equipment. He sat down on a chair next to the bed Sasha was lying on.

'He's katagaria, its day time and he is injured. To hold human form under those circumstances is pretty difficult,' Carson answered. He didn't face Faith as he spoke just started to clean and stitch the wound. He didn't use anything to numb the pain, but there was nothing on Sasha's face to suggest it hurt at all. At least that answered why he wasn't bothered about the wound but still looked strained.

Carson silently continued his work, his hazel eyes focused on Sasha's neck, and Sasha didn't speak either. It was beginning to make Faith feel uncomfortable. She looked down at the henna looking design on her hand and wrist. It was beautiful. But she couldn't keep it. She couldn't keep any of this new world, and that sucked. She didn't want a husband or a mate at all but she had wanted excitement and this world was literally buzzing it was so vivid. But rejecting Sasha and still being a part of it? She wasn't sure she was that much of a bitch. At least not anymore.

'Right, I'm done,' Carson announced tucking a strand of black hair behind his ear.

'Thanks man,' Sasha said sitting up and looking a lot more settled in his skin. He got up and grabbed Faith's hand pulling her toward the door. She told herself the jolt of thrill that raced through her at the contact was because they were one step closer to gumbo, it had nothing at all to do with how delicious Sasha was.

Out in the bar, she noticed it was a lot less busy than when she was here last night. A blonde bombshell walked up to them both, she reminded Faith of Buffy in a taller frame.

'On the bar tonight Sasha,' she said. She smiled sweetly and Faith was struck for a moment of jealously that she would never be 'lovely' or 'sweet'. It's one of things that had bothered her most about Buffy, they went out killing every night and yet during the daylight hours Buffy portrayed herself as an innocent sweetheart. Faith never could, she was rough twenty four hours a day, without class and more savoury than sweet. Normally she didn't mind, she liked who she was, she was hot and an absolute riot to be around, but occasionaly she wished she wasn't as jaded and that she could act wholesome. Just like Buffy, she knew no matter how nice this girl was she had strength and claws.

'Thanks, can you get us a couple of beers and some gumbo?' he asked.

'Yeah no problem. Just let me get the stuff out to the customers and I'll be right with you.' As she went to walk through to the kitchen a man grabbed her round the waist and pulled her in a tight hold. He lifted her chin up and kissed her with so much passion Faith felt she needed a cold shower. The dark haired man ran his hand over her cheek and she grinned before going into the kitchen where she was heading.

'That's Fang: Aimee's mate,' Sasha said next to her ear. She totally did not have the desire to copy Fang and Aimee's kiss with Sasha, and she didn't feel everything inside her fire to Sasha's breath on her ear. Her mind flashed to the images of the night before and she had to bite back a moan. Damn wolf.

Fang looked up at the two of them and raised his eyebrow. Sasha growled, she wasn't sure why he was growling at Fang but he was still close to her and the sound rumbled through her entire body, her toes curled slightly in their boots. As she was about to ask what the growl was for Aimee appeared with two trays full of food. She went to work quickly, smiling and chatting to the customers. She was like a little ball of sunshine, Faith felt herself tense. Would Sasha expect her to be like that? Wait, what was she thinking, she wasn't going to stay with him long enough to find out. She was going to hear what was now after her so she could ring Giles or Angel and get appropriate back up. There by no longing needing Sasha.

She realised Sasha had been silent for a long time so she looked up at him to notice he was still looking at Fang.

'You got a man crush on him or something?'

'Don't make vomit,' he made a gagging motion.

'Why were you staring then?'

'I was talking to him. It's often considered polite to look at someone while talking to them. But I don't know why I bother with that flee ridden mongrel.'

'What?' Faith asked, confused and now irritated.

'We can communicate telepathically with each other,' he answered her, and the last ten minutes suddenly made a whole lot more sense.

'So he's a wolf as well then,' she guessed by the mongrel comment. Nice to see family ties were strong.

'Yeah he is part of the regis wolf pack. Sort of.' Faith considered asking what that meant but changed her mind.

'So is everyone here wolves?'

'No. The bears run this bar, and the doc's a hawk.'

'So Dev and Aimee are?'

'Bears.'

'A wolf can be mated to a bear?'

'It's rare but yes cross-mating does occur. That isn't their only problem, she is Arcadian and he is Katagaria, she sleeps as a human and he sleeps as a wolf.' He didn't add on the obvious, if Sasha and Faith mated it would be the same situation. She watched as the she-bear walked toward them, a tray with two big bowls and two bottles.

'Here you go Sasha,' Aimee held the tray in front of him and he grabbed the bowls. Faith grabbed the beers. 'Sorry, I was a bit busy before, I'm Aimee.'

'Faith. Nice place you got here.'

'Thank you but that's all due to Maman.' Aimee looked down at her feet and sighed. Sasha reached his hand out and grabbed the waitresses shoulder. Faith squashed the instant feeling of jealousy. Aimee looked toward Sasha and gave him a small smile. She walked away and went back to work.

'Nicolette Peltier, Aimee's mother, was the owner of this pace but she died protecting Fang in a battle we had here a little while back. She was bonded to her mate so her father died also. Come on, my room's in the back and upstairs.' Faith couldn't actually keep track of her questions any more. So she followed him silently in the hopes she would get more than her fair share of answers.

They reached his room and she was surprised to see it was tidy. Though it wasn't as if it could be anything but tidy. There was a wardrobe and a double futon. That was it. He had slept as a wolf so that explained why his bed was floor level, but the lack of actual possessions, she had no idea. He looked around them room a little frantically. So she took the initiative and sat her self down on the futon and put the beers in front of her. She reached up for the gumbo. He gave her a smile and she felt a sudden urge to forget the gumbo and just jump him instead.

Trying to remember why sleeping with him again was not an option she focused on the food in front of her.

'Okay, firstly what makes this place so safe?' she asked.

'Well it's a limani. Basically it's under the protection of Savitar. It's against the law to use violence here at all, it's completely neutral. If anyone breaks these rules we will punish them, if not, Savitar will punish them then us.'

'What makes him so powerful,' Faith scoffed.

'I don't know,' Sasha answered honestly. 'He is even older than Acheron but not as forgiving. He wiped out all the Jaguar were-hunters cause one of them pissed him off.'

'How old is Acheron?'

'11,000 give or take a few centuries.' Faith couldn't think for a moment of shock. How could there possibly someone that old? She knew of some old vampires but they didn't even reach 1,000. How was it fair? She was destined to have a short life because of her job whereas this guy gets centuries. Then again, she wasn't sure she could stomach that much of life.

'How old are you?'

'About 400, I gave up counting,' he said casually. 'But were-hunteres aren't immortal, we just live longer, about twelve times longer.'

'And you expect us to be mates? I wouldn't live to the next decade I'm a vampire slayer.'

'Mates can bond,' he mumbled under his breath but Faith picked up loud and clear.

'Bond?'

'After mating were-hunters can choose to bond. It means if one dies so does the other. It would give you my centuries.'

'Oh,' there were more questions about mating. But asking them implied she was interested in mating, and she wasn't. 'So why did those jackals want you dead? Did you forget to share your chew toys?'

'Well the jackals aren't good at sharing the sand box,' he smiled. 'When I was a pup Bast went to war against Artemis. My pack chose to go with Bast. She lost, Artemis demanded all those be judged and executed when appropriate. Everyone was killed, but me. They decided I was too young to make the right decision. The katagaria believe I was a traitor and sold them out for absolution, the Arcadians believe I am a Slayer. That's all there is to it. Both sides want me dead so I stay here. Until the three weeks are up you will carry my scent and it will make them want to use you against me.'

Faith took a deep breath and attempted to process the information. It was simple, but she wouldn't want to have to be stuck in Sanctuary the way he was. She was a great fighter but she didn't fancy her odds if a pack descended on her. She knew running wasn't an option either, there would be were-hunters all over the world, just like vampires. Would a few extra slayers in town be enough to protect her, because that's all Giles would offer her. Frustration gripped at her and she had an urge to punch Sasha again, that, or kiss him.

'Thanks for dragging me into all this. Its really how I saw my week going,' Faith said taking a swig of beer.

Sasha didn't say anything. She looked up and noticed him poking about the gumbo with a sad expression on his face. She didn't like that look being there. He was so much prettier when he smiled. Before she had a chance to say anything else the door knocked. It opened to reveal another gorgeous woman. She guessed that tall AND beautiful was the trait of were-hunters. Her ice blonde hair made her look ethereal.

'Astrid, you knocked?' Sasha commented.

'Well Zarek said you mated. I didn't want to blind myself again you know,' she said casually. There was a comfortable ease between the two of them that made Faith feel like she was invading them rather than the other way round. 'I had to come see for myself what she looked like.' Faith suddenly felt like the main attraction at the zoo.

'You haven't been by in months, don't bother yourself now,' Sasha spoke.

'I've been busy: I have a baby and then Noir is causing havoc and the Malachai has shown up. Zarek is being a general in the damn fight.'

'The pyscho is leading an army? Well that's a brilliant idea.'

'Sasha.' Faith felt the temperature of the room change and it dawned on her, Astrid was more than a were-hunter.

'I get the picture. It's fine.'

'Sasha.' This time she said the wolf's name Faith didn't feel any danger in the air, just concern. So the two were close but the woman hadn't shown up in a while for quite important reasons, but Sasha was still pissed about something.

'Go run back to your god general and bouncing Bob.'

'Menecaeus!' She yelled. 'Out of all the things in this stupid world for you two idiots to finally agree on it's calling my son Bob!' Astrid looked somewhere between angry and amused, which was an interesting look to have. Though personally Faith thought both names sucked. Bob? Menecaeus? Seriously? At least Faith had gumbo, and damn it was good gumbo. She would end up coming back here just for the gumbo, she could see it happening.

Sasha finally grinned back up at Astrid, 'Well if you name you kid something that sounds like a condition, you must face the consequences.'

Faith almost laughed. Astrid frowned and Sasha did laugh, and it was a gorgeous laugh. Faith tried hard not to feel something warm fill her. Astrid looked to Faith then.

'I'm Astrid.'

'Are you a were-hunter?'

'Oh no. I'm a justice nymph,' she said smiling.

'Yeah, be careful with her, her sisters are the fates, and they have a nasty sense of humour.'

'They are family and I love them,' Astrid defended.

'Yeah they are wonderful,' Sasha replied voice dripping with sarcasm. Astrid frowned again but she didn't say anything more about them.

'I'll go. I'll be back later,' Astrid winked at Sasha before vanishing. Faith sighed at the very unsubtle wink.

She looked up from her gumbo to see Sasha staring at her. She felt herself blush and then scolded herself for doing such a Buffy-like thing. She had to get out of there before the situation got any worse.


	6. Chapter 6

The instant Faith finished her gumbo she stood up.

'I'm off. See you around.'

She hadn't looked at Sasha when she spoke but within a second his hand was on her arm. It was firm but something was comforting about the feel of his skin against hers. She hated that she didn't mind the touch of this man. Anyone else had grabbed her like that she would be doing anything and everything to make them regret it.

'If you follow me, I will go to the nearest bar and pick the first guy I see.'

'You-'

'It's not exactly something that's new to me,' she added. Sasha tightened his grip and she knew if she had been completely human she would in agony. He looked lethal and it made something stir in the pit of her stomach. The sheer power in his blue eyes made her blood race. She did always have a thing for dangerous types.

'You will not sleep with anyone else,' he snarled. The wolf in him was clear as day and she wondered how anyone could ever mistake him for human. It thrilled her, and then she made a mental note to go to therapy after this was all over.

'Do not order me. Ever.' But even with the anger running through her veins she was shocked, no one had ever been possessive of her, because no one had ever wanted her that much. But it changed nothing about her decision. 'If you don't want me to have hot stranger sex then don't follow me.'

He seemed to struggle with the concept and she couldn't understand why, it was a simple deal. Maybe it wasn't the one he wanted but it was still simple.

'If were-hunters attack is there a weakness I can use again them?' Again he seemed to struggle with telling her anything, this time she understood it. She was asking for him to give a weakness she could use against him or his friends. She could promise she wouldn't, but then she might not keep it. If pressed she would use any weapon she could.

'If you use this, against anyone in this building, mate or not I will kill you myself.' He took a deep breath, 'If you use electricity against a were-hunter it makes them change forms uncontrollably. If you are in trouble don't hesitate to come back here. No one will harm you once you're inside.' She almost admired him for the threat. She nodded to his terms and advice and walked away knowing the wolf behind her was struggling not to follow. She didn't care, she wasn't his prisoner and she didn't belong to anyone. Not now, not ever.

She pretended she didn't see the looks she was getting as she left Sanctuary. It would take a lot more than disapproving and sympathetic glances to get her to change her mind about anything.

It was well into afternoon so she decided she would nap before going out on patrol, she might even email Angel. She wouldn't ask for any help or back up, it wasn't her style, but she wasn't so stupid she wouldn't warn a few people she wasn't exactly safe. If they then wanted to help, well than that was there problem, but she would never willingly ask.

All thoughts of napping went out of the window when she noticed her front door wasn't locked. Then she recalled Sasha had left her house after she did, he wouldn't have locked it. But something still didn't feel right. It itched at the edges of her skin as she stepped over the threshold. Someone was in her home. Most of her weapons were kept in her bedroom; however she did keep a crossbow in the cupboard in her hallway. Taking out the crossbow she cocked a bolt and edged towards to the living room. As she turned the corner she pointed the weapon inside.

'Pleasant greetings as always.'

'What are you doing here B.'

Buffy smiled. She was reclining back on the sofa feet comfortably on the coffee table. She hadn't even flinched at the crossbow.

'I got word you were in some sort of trouble so I thought I'd come and help out,' she explained.

'You mean you thought you would show up, get all the juicy gossip and go tell all the scoobies,' Faith translated.

Buffy shrugged. Hit her. Smack that look off her face. The urge to attack wasn't uncommon around the spunky blonde. But if Faith's past had taught her only one thing it was that Buffy punched as hard as she did, and the swollen face look didn't go with tonight's jeans. So she walked into the kitchen and grabbed her second beer of the day. She opened the bud with the plain opener on her keys and took a swig of the cold liquid. Now if only she didn't have to go back through to the living room. She had never been a coward before and she wasn't going to start being one now, but that didn't make it any easier. Buffy was the bane of her existence.

She grabbed another beer and brought it through, but Buffy shock her head, it didn't surprise her. The prim Miss Buffy would hardly ever be seen drinking beer let alone in the daytime. She was dressed in skinny jeans with a soft pink strap top, her hair down but perfectly styled. She was as stunning as always, the epitome of the traditional American girl. The type everyone fell in love with. What would Sasha do if he saw Buffy? And why did she care what his reaction would be?

'So you flew all the way from Rome just to see me reject a wolf?' Faith asked with only a hint of scepticism in her voice. More like Buffy came all this way to see her crash and burn.

'I wanted to see the wolf that has you for a mate,' Buffy said, the insult not exactly subtle. Gossip girl had nothing on the two of them, they wrote the book on frenemies. Any length of time together resulted in fighting and the occasional explosion. It was generally best that they kept the Atlantic ocean between the two of them.

'He doesn't have me for a mate. I said no,' Faith answered taking anything swig of beer. The corners of Buffy's lips twitched and there was a look in her eyes Faith couldn't place.

'Will explained the sitch to me. You going to leave the guy impotent?'

'He's not a guy. He's a wolf, and he'll be fine.'

'A few centuries without being able to sleep with anyone? Yeah he'll be fine.'

Faith didn't answer. Buffy's tone was clear, Faith was a selfish bitch. Ok, maybe she was, but why should she surrender the rest of her short life to a man she didn't know.

'Like you would join a random guy in matrimony just so he could have sex?'

'I'm not a mate.' Always one rule for Buffy, one rule for the rest of the world. Whatever, she wasn't going to change her mind just because Buffy had decided to start playing the guilt trip on her.

The edge of her skin started to itch. She looked to Buffy but the slayer didn't give any indication she had sensed anything. The air in the room was different, it had been cackling with tension but now it felt calmer. Comfier. She smiled. Buffy looked at her strangely but Faith ignored it and went to look out the window. Sasha was out there. She was certain of it. She wanted to be angry but it just wasn't there. She felt softened by his presence. She guessed she could allow him this much. As long as he didn't bother her he could stay near by. She rubbed her arms and leant her head against the window,.

'Do you feel that?' She asked Buffy.

'No. I don't feel anything different.' Well that was interesting, she didn't know what it meant that only she could sense him, but she liked it. 'He's outside isn't he?'

'Wha-?'

'It's all over your face. Maybe you should reconsider your answer to him. Because I have never seen you look like that.'

'He's hot and I'm horny. But he is just another guy and all he wants from me is sex. Literally. He wants a bride as much as I want to be one. The only reason he is pushing this is because otherwise he can't get laid.'

There was a pain developing in Faith's chest. Sasha hadn't chosen her; he had gotten stuck with her, which was the same with everyone else in her life. Everyone except for Richard Wilkins. She regretted what she had done. She always saw the deaths she had caused when she lay in bed at night. But she would never regret choosing him, he had loved her like a daughter even if she had had to kill for that love, it was more than some would offer her.

Buffy got up and stood next to her at the window. Faith wanted to push her out the way, she knew Sasha would be able to see both her and Buffy from here and she didn't like it. She didn't want Buffy anywhere near Sasha. She wanted to scream in frustration because she didn't want to care but she did. She might be saying no to Sasha but he was still hers, this situation was hers, and she didn't want Buffy's centre stage abilities interfering.

'From what I heard it's more to the were's than just sex.'

'Since when are you an expert on there were-hunter community. None of us knew they existed till this morning.'

Buffy gave her that look again. Punch her. Kick her. What are you waiting for? Why the hell did she have to show up anyway? It would have cost a stupid amount for her to have flown here last minute from Rome. Even if Buffy was stinking rich these days, Andrew had paid her off to sell their story, but it was still a tremendous feat. And annoying as hell.

'Invite him in,' Buffy said.

'Yeah right,' Faith scoffed. 'I'll show you to the room you can stay in.'

Buffy pouted but followed Faith anyway. Ever since the council had started paying the slayers they had made a rule that all slayer residences must have a guest room. It was in case for whatever reason a council member or another slayer had to be there. Faith hadn't foreseen having to give hers to Buffy. The room was a nice pale green and the bedspread was a rich jade. Buffy looked at her and then at the pine furniture.

'Green?'

'I like the colour,' Faith humphed. Stupid Buffy with her stupid pinks and creams. She put the stuff down on the floor. 'It's going to be dark soon. I'm going to take a nap before going out.'

'Aren't you going to quit soon?' Buffy asked as she put her bag down on the floor and sat herself down on the bed.

'Help yourself to anything in the kitchen. You know how to work the TV and the laptop.'

Faith left Buffy in the guest room and headed toward her own. She was never going to quit and Buffy would never understand that. To Buffy slaying was a duty and a responsibility. To Faith it had always been who she was and all she ever could be.

Her room was plain. She had crimson covers and cream walls. There was a chest of draws, a wardrobe and a couple of chests of weapons, a habit she had developed from Buffy. There wasn't any art or ornaments; she just never saw the point. It had never bothered her until Buffy had sneered at her guest room.

She lay on her bed and closed her eyes but she could still sense Sasha outside and she kept replaying the previous night over and over in her head. She scrunched her eyes so tightly shut they began to throb, but it was no use. All there was to her mind was Sasha.

Yelling in frustration she leapt off her bed. She grabbed some sweats and a jogging bra from her draws and changed. If she couldn't sleep away her problems she would punch them out. She pulled her hair back into a high ponytail and grabbed her ipod before going to her training room.

It was pretty simple. She had a punching bag for obvious reasons, a fitball, which the sales assistant had tried and failed to sell her in a hot pink. The only other thing she kept in the room was skipping ropes. Basics were the way forward as far as she was concerned. All the fancy contraptions big consumer companies made where just getting you to do a variation of a basic exercise, they made money by convincing you that wasn't what they were doing.

She also didn't believe in wraps or gloves but that had more to do with her slayer strength and slayer type joints. The only other thing gracing the training room was her iPod dock. She plugged it in and 'Don't Ask' by Blood Red Shoes blasted out of the speakers. She usually did a quick warmup before training, even slayers could pull muscles. Today she didn't care.

She got into her stance in front of the bag. She was light on her feet moving around, boxing style, keeping her stance no matter which way she moved. She started with a jab. Then she moved in for a jab cross. She did it again and followed it with a backhand. The bag swung, she stilled it. The music was pounding through her veins. She thought about Sasha outside. Jab. Cross. Jab. Cross. Hook.. Uppercut. Uppercut. Jab. Jab. Cross. Kick. Jab. Cross. Hook. She kept up the pace, her muscles aching from the speed. Her lungs burned, almost choking her, but she couldn't shake the feeling of Sasha.

She would get this out her system.

She couldn't lose the feel of him on her skin. His breath. So she punched harder. Each hit was capable of knocking a human out. But it was never enough.

The song changed and 'Make Me Wanna Die,' by the Pretty Reckless started to buzz around her. All the words blurred into a loud drone as she yelled on each hit. All thoughts of Buffy's invasion had long been thrown aside. She was a nat compared to the throbbing pain of Sasha's presence all around her.

Was this ache what it meant to be mates? To feel almost suffocated. She let out a piercing scream as she landed one last cross. The bag sung off the hook and crashed into the wall. She dropped to her knees unable to feel the pain. Over the music she heard a single howl.

* * *

**p.s. the two songs mentioned in this chapter are awesome and you should go listen to them. The first one 'Don't Ask' I do actually train to that at a Boxing Conditioning class so you can definitely work out to it :).**


	7. Chapter 7

The hook punch came fast. A full haymaker, and being a vampire he could certainly put a lot of power behind the attack. Faith step forward, moving into the centre of the attack's circle. She palm-striked his nose and kneed him in the groin. With a hiss the vampire staggered backward and she kicked him in the sternum to push him further from her. She withdrew her stake and ignored the raised eyebrow from Buffy. The vampire snarled, his yellow eyes intent on the kill. That's what leads to all vampires undoing. They were too focused on the end result, on the blood. They needed to feel the fight. He charged toward Faith and she smirked and positioned her stake at the last moment. She was knocked off her feet as he crashed into her and she tucked her chin to her chest so she wouldn't hit her head off the ground. As she landed the pressure on top of her eased and dust rained over her.

She got to her feet and brushed the dust of her leathers.

'Was that really necessary?' Buffy asked. She was perched on top of a large gravestone, her legs crossed, the top legging swinging demonstrating her Christian Louboutin boots. Of course it hadn't been necessary; as soon as Faith had missed the Haymaker she could have staked him. But there was no fun in that, and it made longer waits in between vampires while on patrol. Yet all Buffy saw was the same Faith that got carried away with the fight and ended up killing a man. Buffy never realised that when she fought she did the same thing. Faith had seen countless times when Buffy could stake but didn't.

'You could help you know,' she said.

'Do you honestly want me to?' Buffy asked. No, Faith didn't even want her in the country and she certainly didn't want her interfering with what little entertainment her job did bring her. Her inner voice was thankfully quiet, the sing song voice that begged her to hurt Buffy whenever she was near, it was sated with the vampires. She had wondered long ago whether all slayers had the voice in them that demanded blood, but she never asked. She was all ready the crazy one.

'Why don't you head back? I'm going to do another circle of the perimetre,' she suggested. Buffy looked at her, and Faith sighed. Fine Miss Annoying could stay and get her Louboutins dirty, whatever. She felt her skin shiver as she felt Sasha nearby. She was annoyed with herself. She felt him leave like someone ripping through her mind and his arrival was like a warm blanket. It had been a week since they had slept together and she could still feel him under her skin like he had been there her entire life. She'd never felt a reaction to a man like this, not even with Wood.

There were two weeks left on the clock, and Buffy reminded her of it ticking every day. They hadn't seen any hint of any other were-hunters, but she sensed someone or thing watching her. Someone other than Sasha. And it was directed at her.

* * *

His woman was magnificent. The way she fought. It was all passion and it thrilled him. Even in his wolf form he felt his skin buzz with excitement when he was near her. Her eyes lit up with fire behind them as she took on her opponents her body rippling with tension and power. He remembered that power beneath him and he would do just about anything to feel it again.

The other woman who had joined her seemed to enjoy rattling Faith. Sasha had to hold himself back a few times from rushing to her defence. They clearly had an odd relationship. Perhaps they were sisters, though they looked nothing alike. Buffy, the blonde, or so he had heard her being called, was small and lithe. Faith was short but she wasn't tiny like this other Slayer. She was also pretty: blonde hair, tanned skin. Altogether even he would admit she was more beautiful than Faith. But there was something about the turn of Faith's mouth, the passion in her eyes, the sensuality in her sweet curves that made Sasha hunger for her in a way he had never felt for a woman before. It almost scared him how much he desired her. He had nearly transformed human and ran to her hundreds of times, but then he remembered what she had threatened.

He growled low in his throat. So much so Faith turned toward where he was hiding.

She scowled.

'He's here isn't he?' Buffy asked. Faith turned back to the blonde and shook her head. Sasha wasn't sure why but he felt as if Faith didn't want Buffy anywhere near him, and that was fine. He didn't want her near any other guy either. In fact he quite liked it, it meant she already, although unknowingly, thought of him as hers.

'Angel?' Buffy suddenly spoke and Sasha started looking around and found nothing but another vampire. He was dark-haired and broody, he reminded him of Fang. Neither Slayer moved to fight him. Instead Buffy leapt off the gravestone and ran to him throwing her arms around him. Sasha frowned, he edged closer, careful not to make his presence known to the other two. He sniffed the air. This vampire had a soul, and a strong one at that.

Faith rolled her eyes at the two hugging, but there was sadness there. And Sasha clawed the ground slowly trying not to run toward her. The blonde let him go. He turned toward Faith but Buffy pulled him back.

'What are you doing here?' she asked, her voice dripping with cuteness. Her eyes were wide and she smiled at the vampire seductively. They obviously had history.

'Came to help out Faith,' he said. 'Were-hunters are powerful and I thought you two could do with the help.'

Faith smiled and Buffy for some reason frowned. There was energy in the air that started crackling between the three of them.

'Thanks, though B isn't here to do any fighting, just to watch me suffer,' Faith answered. Angel looked to Buffy.

'Not true,' she said. 'I came to congratulate. I didn't know there was a need for fighting.'

Angel raised an eyebrow at her and Sasha didn't blame him. He didn't exactly believe her either. She shrugged.

'It is so good to see you,' she hugged him. This time he disentangled himself from her.

'The last time I tried to see you, you had Andrew send me away,' Angel said casually. Buffy pouted.

'You were working for Wolfram and Heart,' she said. 'I couldn't trust you anymore.'

'I don't think you ever did,' he answered.

'I do trust-'

'Hey guys,' Faith interrupted them. 'Not that I want to interrupt this little marital spat you two seem to be having. But I have a job to do. Have your tiff elsewhere and I'll meet you back at my place.'

'It's –'

'I know where it is,' Angel interjected.

'You know where it is,' Buffy said eyes wide. Sasha had started growling without realising it.

'Yes I do,' he said. Buffy turned to glare at Faith who just shrugged.

'What can I say B, my door's always open,' Faith replied. Buffy took one aggressive step toward her at the same time Sasha got ready to pounce on Angel. But Angel put his hand on her shoulder and pulled her back.

'Nothing between you two ever changes does it,' Angel said and Buffy opened her mouth to object but closed it again.

'Come on. Let's go, we have some talking to do,' Buffy said to Angel. Angel nodded and followed as she walked away. Faith stood there and leant against the gravestone Buffy had sat on. She folded her arms across her chest.

'You can stop growling now,' she said. Sasha's ears raised up. She looked weary as she stood there. Sasha whimpered and moved forward slowly, not wanting to risk her threat too much. He gave her a chance to refuse his presence but she made no sound. He reached her and nudged her leg with head and patted it with his paw. She sighed and let herself slide down the gravestone till she sat in the mud.

'You know, if you were human right now I'd tell you to fuck off,' she said. He did. He had known from day two that she was more accepting of his wolf side than his human side. He just couldn't work out why.

'The last time all three of us were in the same town, I went to jail and they went all fist fighty on each other. The time before that, he nearly died and I ended up in a coma. We don't do well around each other,' she said quietly.

Sasha was shocked by her confession and what she revealed. But he could tell that the impending doom of them being in the same area was not what concerned her. There was something else about those two that unsettled her. She seemed annoyingly comfortable with the vampire and she was alright with the other slayer. So whatever bothered her was caused by the combination of all three of them. He growled slightly at his frustration. She didn't flinch.

'Damn right,' she said. 'Where are those jackals of yours anyway?' If Sasha could he would have shrugged. He had thought they would have attacked already too.

They stayed like there, side by side, unconcerned with time as they sat in silence.

'Aright this shindig has been a barrel of laughs but I need to head back, and you need to get back to avoiding me.'

Sasha thought to protest, but he had covered ground. The two visitors had unwittingly helped him, and he wasn't about to take two steps back. So he turned and bounded off. He would wait for her at her home. Perhaps see what the vampire was like and maybe they could answer him some questions.

Buffy had sat herself on the sofa and Angel leant against one of the walls, a mug in his hand. Sasha could smell the Pig's blood from outside.

'She's been gone a while,' Buffy said.

'Avoiding coming back here I imagine,' Angel answered, taking a sip of his blood. Sasha turned human and summoned some clothes to him. He was going to get some damn answers at last. He walked into the house and into the living room.

Neither of them seemed particularly surprised by his presence though he did gain a raised eyebrow from the vampire.

'You must be Sasha,' Buffy stated. 'I'm - '

'I know,' he said. He between her and Angel eying them. 'I want you to tell me everything you know about Faith.'

'Why?' Angel asked. He was sizing Sasha up in return, he'd appreciate him being protective over Faith if it didn't send grate against his Alpha tendencies.

'She's my mate, it's my right to know,' Sasha said with a matter of fact about his voice. It was true after all, who ever heard of mates keeping secrets from one another. It simply was not done.

'Just wait a min-'

'No he's right Angel,' Buffy smiled. 'He does have a right to know what he is getting himself in for.'

'Buffy,' Angel warned. Sasha narrowed his eyes. What was she planning? She indicated with her hand for him to take a seat but he shook his head. He couldn't figure out the blonde, she seemed nice enough, except her attitude toward Faith at times seemed almost venomous and vice versa.

'Faith isn't the hero you think she is,' Buffy said.

'Buffy don't do this, it's her business,' Angel said at the same time Sasha spoke.

'Who said I thought she was a hero?'

'You mated her,' Buffy retorted.

'The fates mated us,' Sasha corrected.

'When Faith was seventeen she arrived in Sunnydale. We were the only two slayers then. She was reckless and she got carried away and killed a man. After she failed to blame it on me she went rogue. She tried to kill Angel, and she tried to kill me. She ended up in a coma for six months. After waking she beat up a woman, stole her clothes and switched our bodies. She stole my life, slept with my boyfriend and allowed me to be taken in her place for her crimes. I switched us back and she ran to LA where she beat a man so thoroughly he was unrecognisable. She then tortured another man who had once tried to help her,' Buffy finished. 'And you want to mate her.'

Sasha didn't know what to say. What Buffy presented was horrific, but it was only one side of the story. He knew better than most people how important the other side was in an argument. You needed to know everything before you could make any judgements.

'She tortured that man because she was trying to instigate me to kill her. Afterward she admitted her crimes to the police and was sent to prison. She later helped save me, and she helped you save the world Buffy,' Angel argued.

'That doesn't change anything of her past. She's a killer and she always will be.'

The front door shutting echoed around the room and Buffy's cursed in realisation.

'Some things never change B,' Faith called casually. But as she stepped into the room and her eyes saw Sasha she froze. Her eyes grew wide and she let out a hiss of air. He stepped toward her but she shook her head and she ran. His heart dropped and he moved to run after her. She turned and punched him. Again. Like before she had caught him off guard and his head whipped back.

'Follow me and I'll kill you,' she snapped.

'Let her go Sasha,' Angel added from the front room. He saw her back as she practically sprinted out of her house. This was useless. Everything about this was useless.

Angel walked into the hallway and put his hand on Sasha's shoulder. Normally he would have fought off the man's hand.

'Faith is complicated,' Angel said. 'She's had a dark past.'

'Haven't we all,' Sasha replied looking out of the open door. He wasn't sure what to do. He didn't want to go after her in case she reacted badly, and he didn't want to leave her out on her own. He also needed to know more about her past. There was only one solution and he really didn't want to take it.

'Zarek!' He yelled. Zarek being a god meant he had god hearing . The psycho appeared before him his eyes like daggers. He glared toward the vampire, his mouth curling into a snarl. Angel shrugged in response and went back in to the front room. Sasha had a distinct feeling he was listening very intently to them.

'This better be good Scooby. I was on a break.' Sasha let the insult slide for now. He needed the psycho's help more than he needed his pride.

'I need to see Astrid. She has that sleeping thing she snuck you moons back,' Sasha said.

'Why?'

'Same reason she did,' Sasha said simply.

'You're in charge of cosmically judging whether she can live or be obliterated from existence,' Zarek said. His mouth almost twitched to a smile, almost.

'I think you'll find it had more to do with her wanting to see who you really were,' Sasha quipped and regretted it almost instantly as Zarek's eyes darkened.

'Her past is hers to give,' Zarek said.

'And I would agree if I wasn't running out of time. Send me to Astrid, and keep a godly eye over Faith while I'm gone.'

'Since when do you order me?'

'Please,' Sasha gritted out. How low the mighty had fallen. Zarek took his time but eventually nodded and waved his hand in Sasha's direction. One minute he was in Faith's front room and the next he was on a beach. Astrid was lying on a towel in a white bikini while Bob was asleep in the cot next to her. Well, he guessed this kind of life was alright for some.

'Astrid,' he called. She sat up shocked. She turned her head around a few times and he realised she was looking for Zarek.

'He's not here, and I thought you were busy these days,' Sasha remarked walking toward her. He felt unsteady on the sand and heat bore down on him from the sun. Beaches were not places for wolves.

'We are. We took a few hours out to have some time to ourselves. I must have fallen asleep,' she said and stretched as if to prove her point. Her back arched gracefully, and even as she slumped afterward she appeared elegant. She peered into the cot and smiled. She turned back to him still wearing the same motherly smile.

'Ok so where is he? And how come you're here. I thought you'd be busy for a while,' she said suggestively.

'He's keeping an eye on her when I visit you. I need the dream thing you gave Zarek,' Sasha said.

'Lotus or Idios,' Astrid asked, her eyes obviously disapproving.

'Idios obviously, I can't use lotus on her. I know the effects that can have on a mortal,' he answered. He had once listed them all to Astrid to convince her from using it on Zarek.

'But she isn't exactly mortal either,' she said.

'What do you mean?' Sasha asked. Astrid looked down to the sea.

'I'll get you your serum,' she said ignoring his question. She stood up and stretched again. Astrid was stunning, even Buffy was no comparison. But there had never been anything between them and there never would be. She was like a little sister to him. She walked toward him with a sad smile on her face. 'I hope you know what you are doing.'

'Of course I do,' he replied instantly. She raised a blonde eyebrow but he didn't back down.

'Aright. Go relieve my husband of his duty and I'll get the serum to you in time for her sleeping.'


	8. Chapter 8

It didn't take long for Sasha to find Faith, he caught up to her fighting vampires in an alley off bourbon street. He arrived just as she dusted her last one.

'Faith,' he spoke quietly. She narrowed her eyes, but Sasha was obviously not going to give up this time. She took a step back. His electric blue eyes were like fire as they looked down at her. She was going to threaten him but nothing would come out of her mouth.

'I-' he started.

'No,' she interrupted. 'I won't talk about this.' She would not tell him her story and have him treat her like she was crazy. Just like everyone else. She didn't bother analysing why it bothered her so much what he thought of her since she was just going to walk away from him.

There was only one way to stop a man from talking. She closed the space between them and yanked his head to hers. She kissed him like his mouth was water and she'd been lost in the desert. All men were the same. She had done the same thing to Xander all those years back. Sasha fisted her hair in his hand as the other one placed on the small of her back and pulled her tightly into him. Her hands reached up under his shirt and he groaned as she bit down on his lip. She felt the muscles there, stroked the contours. She felt the muscles tense and it sent a small thrill through her stomach.

She blinked and they were back in her bedroom. She knew he had done it but she didn't bother to ask how, she wasn't going to give him a chance to talk. She was going to ride him unconscious. Ripping his shirt off she started kissing the muscles she had been stroking. He tasted like hot wet nights, the kind you only got in New Orleans.

He groaned as he moved to touch her but instead she pushed him onto the bed. This was her turn to dominate and she was definitely going to. He looked at her like he was starving for her and she suddenly felt nervous. Like she was in out of her depth, which made no sense. Manipulation by sex was something she had become very skilled at. But the look in his eyes, it was like he needed her to breathe.

He must have noticed her panic because he reached up and kissed her. As he nibbled her lip she felt desire stir in her. Pushing him back down she went back to kissing his chest. Licking the contours she loved so much.

She undid the top of his jeans and pulled them down. She loved that he went commando, it was the greatest thing about him. Well not the greatest but it did make her lick her lips. She went back to his stomach, and started kissing along his thighs. He groaned and bucked his hips, she smiled. She wasn't giving in that easy. She kissed around the base of his penis. It twitched in response, he bucked his hips again. She licked up the shaft deliberately taking her time. She gently flicked the tip with her tongue and he moaned.

'Faith you're killing me,' he gritted out. She laughed. She liked tormenting him. She repeated what she had just done and he wriggled under her. Then she took him in her mouth. He hissed and she worked him hard. He tried to thrust but she held his hips in place as she kept sucking, flicking the top with her tongue every now and again. She felt him about to come and but she kept going anyway, and as he yelled out her name she kept working him. Making sure she kept his orgasm going and being a were-hunter it did, for a long time. The power in the air crackled. She did not remember that happening last time.

'I used my powers to mask the effects last time,' Sasha said panting. Faith crawled up the bed and lay next to him. Now he would sleep and leave alone. Except he didn't. He rolled on top of her and started kissing her. Gently at first before adding more pressure.

'But?' she whispered when he stopped to start kissing her neck.

'I'm not a man Faith. I can go all morning,' he said and even though she couldn't see his face she knew he was grinning.

Sasha watched Faith sleep. It was probably the creepiest thing he had ever decided to do, but he couldn't actually help it. The way her chest rose and fell slowly, she was calm, probably the only time she would ever be truly calm. He could hear her breathing, not quite a snore, but something that made his insides clench.

He lifted the bottle of idios serum and let a couple of drops fall into her mouth. Her nose scrunched up slightly and she rolled over. Sasha smiled and lay down next to her.

The first thing he saw was the Buffy girl as a teenager laughing with who he assumed were her friends. He looked around and noticed Faith was over by some trees watching them. Her eyes looked haunted and at the same time hungry for what she saw. They were outside of a school, Sunnydale High. For a little while she stayed there just staring until the bell went and Buffy and her friends ran in. Faith walked off.

The scene changed. There was a small girl with dark hair and she sat in the middle of a room. There was a battered sofa and lots of empty bottles and ash trays surrounding it. The girl was playing with a rag doll, the doll was torn in places and looked like it had been dragged through mud.

The door banged open and a woman walked in, she resembled Faith, but this woman was older. She looked haggard and her hair was stringy. She had a cigarette in her hand and a bottle of smirnoff vodka in the other.

'Mommy,' the girl called and ran up to the woman throwing her arms around the woman's legs.

'Get off,' the woman snapped. The girl looked like she wanted to stay there but let go and went back to her spot on the floor. The woman sat on the sofa and took a swig out of her bottle and tapped the loose ash of her cigarette into one of the many ash trays.

'Mommy I'm hungry,' the girl asked. She looked up at her mother and Sasha noticed how thin the girl was. She was wearing a tattered t-shirt but he could see the harsh edges of bone under her skin.

'Not now Faith,' the woman replied. 'I don't have the money.'

Sasha's eyes locked onto the girl. She was Faith but he couldn't see any of the woman he knew in the girl. This Faith looked innocent and lost.

'Please mommy it hurts,' Faith whimpered. Her mother looked furious. She got up and shoved a cigarette from her jeans pocket at Faith.

'Have this, it stops the hunger hurting as much,' she said. Faith looked at it as if it was an alien.

'How does it work?' Faith asked. Her mother took the cigarette back and put her own on the edge of the ash tray and lit up Faith's. She passed it to Faith and picked her own up. She took a deep draw and blew out the smoke. Easy as that. She indicated Faith to do the same. She did and she doubled over coughing, her eyes watered.

Sasha felt sick watching the scene before him. He wanted to rush in and pick up Faith and leave, but this was a memory in a dream, there would be nothing he could do to change this for his mate.

'You're such a little shit,' her mother said looking in disgust at her child's struggle with smoking.

Faith's dark eyes widened like saucers. She tried with the cigarette again and this time she obviously struggled but managed not to cough. She blew the smoke out the corner of her mouth like a weird fish, but she looked so proud. She looked up to her mother expecting gratification but her mother just shrugged. Faith ran up to her again to hug her but the cigarette caught her mother's leg. She jumped up in pain.

'Stupid bitch,' she yelled and slapped Faith hard. 'Get out of here.'

'Where do you want me to go?' Faith asked quietly. She kept her face stoic struggling not to cry.

'Just get out of my hair,' she said and took another swig of vodka. Sasha's hands twitched to rush in and take the bottle off from her. But Faith ran out of the room and Sasha was pulled with her. She hurried down the stairs of the building and into the streets below. She walked. With nowhere to go and gangs of people outside she held on to herself and kept walking.

The dream shifted and he was standing outside with Faith as a teenager again and she looked in through the window of a house. Buffy was inside and she was sitting at the kitchen table with the woman who must have been Buffy's mother. They were talking and smiling, her mother reached over to hug her but Buffy shrugged it off looking embarrassed. He turned to Faith and noticed the longing in her eyes; a small tear left the corner of her eye.

Another change and Buffy and Faith were fighting in a ship yard. It was a hard fight, Faith went for her stake, Buffy shouted no, but it was too late. The momentum carried the stake into the heart of the man. Faith stared at the body in horror. She looked down at her hands like they were foreign to her. The dream flashed and repeated the stabbing another few times.

Then there was a dead demon on the floor and Faith was looking at her hands again as if they didn't belong to her, they were coated in blood. Then they were in a mansion and there was Angel, he was hugging her and telling her it was okay. Sasha felt the jealousy rise in him like bile, but before he could act another man burst in and arrested her.

The next scene she was beating up another human but he didn't see malice in her eyes only pain and frustration. The dream changed fast through various people she had attacked. Including a demon assassin in what must have been Angel's apartment. Then she was in the shower and punching the tiles till her hands bled and her knuckles were raw to the bone. He tried to hug her but he went straight through her like a ghost.

She was then a teenager again, younger than the times with Buffy. She was only bones and a man was offering her money for sex and she took it. Sasha closed his eyes but the scene was already changing. There was an older man and he was offering her an apartment, it was nicer than any of the other ones she had been in. Had she found herself a rich older man? His stomach twisted painfully but then he saw how he looked at her. It wasn't sexual, it was fatherly. She was smiling and so was he. But Sasha could sense the evil in him and he asked Faith to kill for him after he told her how proud he was of her. She nodded reluctantly and Sasha tried to reach out for her.

Then she was older, closer to the age he knew and there was a bunch of young girls she was leading, there was an explosion. Then she was back to killing the man in the ship yard.

Sasha woke up in bed next to Faith. He looked down at her and wanted to pull her into his arms. It was obvious from what he had seen what had happened. Everything she had ever done was only ever to survive or to be loved. She had signed up to murder only so that man would look at her like a father. She had turned to prostitution for money that her own mother should have provided.

Shaking his head he got up and walked out of the room. He needed to have a drink and think of what he wanted to say to his mate. He knew what she had done was wrong but he could understand the reasons. She had been lost and she had made amends for it. It wasn't his place to judge her, the same way others had judged him. She had done what she had needed to, and his wolf heart understood that in a way no other human ever could.

He grabbed a beer from the kitchen and sat himself on the sofa, 1 pm. He really should be a wolf at this time of day. But he wanted to be human when she woke up.

'Sasha?' He turned to see Buffy entering the living room. He didn't dislike the blonde, but she was judgemental and he had heard enough of her sanctimonious bullshit yesterday. 'How come you are up? I thought were-hunters are nocturnal.'

'We are. I couldn't sleep,' he lied. Her eyes fell on his Budweiser.

'Bit early?'

'We have a faster metabolism. It would take about twenty of these till I was even slightly tipsy.'

'Oh.' She sat next to him on the sofa and Sasha suddenly felt very uncomfortable. The wolf in him rose to the surface, he wanted to attack but he kept himself still.

'So what happens when Faith refuses you?' Buffy asked.

'I will be unable to have sex,' he replied.

'Oh, that seems a shame, a guy like you,' she said looking him up and down. 'It must be very hard.'

'It's the way it has always been with mates.'

'But you could sleep with anyone you wanted now couldn't you,' she said. Sasha really wanted to runaway.

'No. Well yes. But I wouldn't want to. I only want her.'

'But surely if she is going to make you celibate you'd want to go out and have as much sex as you want before you can't.' Buffy said. She placed her hand on his leg. He quickly shifted it off.

'Stop,' he growled. 'I only want Faith.' As he said it he realised it was true. At some point over the last week she had become the only one who could please him. He only wanted her in his bed, with her strong muscles, lush curves and sensual eyes. He was hard just thinking about it. Unfortunately Buffy thought that the hard on was for her. She leant over to kiss him and reacting the only way he could think of he shoved her. She fell backward and onto her ass. Her eyes widened as if what happened was the least likely thing in existence.

'Fuck this. This is why being a wolf trumps being human,' Sasha yelled standing up. 'She is supposed your friend you stupid bitch.'

'She tried to sleep with Angel when he was my boyfriend and then she did actually sleep with a different boyfriend while wearing my body,' Buffy snapped.

'So what, this is you getting your own back? How old are you?' he asked. 'I know there is history between you two, and I know she fucked up your perfect life a lot. But you know she has changed now. Why would you still hold all this against her?'

Humans baffled him. There was far too much manipulation.

'I...' Buffy started. But she didn't finish whatever it was she wanted to say. Instead she walked out of the room. Breathing a sigh of relief he changed him back into a wolf. Being human was bloody hard work.

* * *

Astrid didn't visit her sisters often. She had a lot on her plate what with the world trying to end its self so resiliently. But she hadn't been in a while and they did get pissy with her if she ignored them for too long.

'Hey,' she said walking into the room in which they spun the threads of fate.

'Hello,' Clotho said nervously and the others glared at her.

'So you mated Sasha to a slayer then,' she said.

'You found out?' Atty said. 'Don't worry we're fixing it.'

Astrid felt a wave of panic.

'What do you mean fixing it?'

'Faith will die before they have a chance to complete the mating ritual, and then we'll mate him to someone else.'

'Tell me everything,' She said. 'Now.'


	9. Chapter 9

Faith woke to a knock on her door. She groaned and tried to bury her face in her pillow. Her body felt relaxed and at ease, but her mind whirred from her dreams. The knock sounded again and she became suddenly aware she was naked under her quilt.

'One minute,' she called. She got up and quickly pulled on some clothes. 'Come in.'

She thought it was Angel and was surprised when Buffy walked in, her face looking sombre. Faith sighed and sat on the edge of her bed.

'I thought you would have skipped town already, you know after telling all my past to Sasha I didn't think there was anything left for you to do around here,' Faith commented.

'Look I'm sorry about that, but it was only fair he knew,' she said. Hurt her, punch her. Faith shook off the thought.

'It was none of your business,' she said.

'I wanted to tell you I made a move on him,' Buffy stated.

'You what!' Faith yelled. She felt heat burn across her skin as she thought of them together. Buffy's body wrapped around Sasha's. She felt like she was going to be sick.

'Calm down. He didn't accept it, and I wanted you to know that. He doesn't just want to be with you because of this mating thing. It's more than that.'

'Wait, so you expect me to believe that you tried to get into his pants for me? And this has nothing to do at all with our history and Angel snubbing you?' Faith stated. Hit her, kill her. Make her pay.

'Believe what you want. My motives aside, he chose you.' She turned and left. Faith just stood in the centre of her room. She felt something flutter in her stomach, he chose her, someone actually chose her. It made her feel giddy, like that moment when you've had too much to drink, just before the depressant kicks in. Almost like she was weightless. But he still didn't know all of her past. What would he do if he did? Would he run away and leave her? Probably. Rather be celibate than stuck with a psycho right?

Faith sat on the edge of her bed and tried to get her breathing back under control. She wasn't sure when it had gone astray. Her head hurt. She didn't want this. Not the giddy feeling and certainly not the dread that he wouldn't accept her. She wasn't sure when she had let this happen, she had been actively trying to avoid anything close to this.

She knew Sasha was downstairs, knew soon as she moved he would be on her, trying to talk to her about what he had heard yesterday. She felt like she was stuck in a box she couldn't get out of and the walls were starting to push in around her. She was going to be crushed if she couldn't get out. She wanted to scream but instead she got up and opened her window. She sucked in great amounts of air. She looked down at the ground. It was going to hurt, but she wasn't a slayer for nothing. Jumping out of the window she landed on the ground and winced at the shooting pain that flared around her ankles.

She started to run. Sasha would know she had left instantly with that stupid mating sense. It would still give her enough of a head start. Her breathing was becoming more ragged and she knew it wasn't to do with her running.

As she reached the French Quarter she noticed it was packed with tourists, nothing new there. She slithered her way around them and ducked into a bar. She had never been to this one before; there was nothing particularly special about it, other than it reeked. She hoped it would throw off her scent.

A man pushed up against, 'You 'right there.' He was bigger than her but that was not a hard thing to accomplish. He was a lot wider as well and smelled of stale beer. She wanted to gag.

'Five by five,' she said and pushed her way past him. Punch him, he touched you. As always she ignored the nagging voice and ordered herself a whiskey. She was going to town tonight. She stayed sitting at the bar and as the golden liquid appeared she knocked it straight back. It burned as it went down but it was smooth, like she was drinking fire made of silk. Her stomach warmed outward. She ordered another.

'You look lonely,' a guy said behind her.

'I wish I was,' she replied. She frowned. She'd always been lonely and she was used to that and comfortable with it. If she got used to being not lonely, what would happen when it came back again? Could she get used to Sasha just to have him leave her? Or worse, die on her?

'Maybe you need better company?' the man said. She turned to look at him, and he wasn't exactly a dog. And then she laughed to herself because she had been fucking a wolf. But Sasha had permanently screwed her vision of men, no one was going to be able to compare to him and didn't that just suck. Maybe she should go with this man. Sasha would hate her and leave then, and she wouldn't be in danger of falling any more in like with him. Perhaps the way to stop the walls closing in around her was to force them away. It's what she had always done. If anything or anyone attempts to corner you, you punch your way out.

'Maybe I do,' she said and downed the whiskey that arrived and nodded that she wanted another one. If she was going to do this, and she was, she needed to be drunk. But as the guy moved closer to her she felt repulsion shiver along her arms. It was if her skin was rebelling against his presence. He ran his hand along her cheek and she wanted to be sick. What had Sasha done to her? He'd poisoned her. She couldn't go through with this. Shoving the guy away from her she stormed out of the bar. She heard a vague 'Well fuck you bitch,' but it didn't register. She was going to go home and punch the wolf till he admitted just what he had done.

But she had barely taken two steps when she noticed a vamp taking a girl down an alley. For fuck's sake. When would girls learn? Alleys are not for those without weapons. Kill kill kill. Ok, there was no need to disagree with the voice this time.

It was an easy kill. The darkness that swelled inside of her was disappointed, it was going to be noisier than usual.

'Faith is it?' She turned to voice at the front of the alley. It was one of the jackals from before. 'It's been very hard to get you on your own.'

'I'm popular,' she said shrugging. What was one jackal to her?

'Behind you,' he said. And as if he had read her mind she found five men standing there. Well she guessed they weren't really men. She wondered if they were all jackals. Sasha was going to be so pissed at her if she survived this.

'Oh you will. Or at least for now. I want him to know what we do to you before we kill him. Slayers must be punished,' he said.

'God you sound like the council, you should totally meet together and have tea,' she said. She weighed up her options and they didn't look good. She could try to make a run for it but she knew how fast Sasha could move, she didn't doubt they'd catch her in no time. That left fighting and, okay, six vamps was a struggle but she could do it. Vamps were nothing compared to these guys though. Hurt them, Kill them. The thought raced around her head making her blood boil like it always did and she let it. The anger would help her.

'So if you are supposed to be so noble, ridding the world of evil slayers and all that, shouldn't you only be interested in killing him?'

'He'll be made an example of.'

'I thought slayers were made during puberty, when they couldn't control their powers? It's not a choice,' Faith said reciting the information Red had emailed her.

'That's what they want you to think. In the end they are just animals and they do what animals do best. Kill.'

She couldn't be bothered to correct him. Distracting him wasn't working and she still had no clue how to get out of this. She considered going quietly as she might not get hurt then. But who was she kidding? They were going to torture her no matter and she didn't go down without a fight. She felt hands around her neck; she shrugged up her shoulders and moved to hit him in the balls. She put a thumb lock on as she turned in for the strike. She twisted out of his grip and punched him in the nose. Arms were already reaching around her, she kicked the guy coming at her and head butted the one holding her. She dropped her weight and pulled him round in just in time for the one she kicked to come back and trip over him. Then something hard hit the side of head. She felt sick and darkness crept in at the edges of her vision.

* * *

Faith had been taken by the jackals. It was obvious; their scents were all over the place where hers had gone cold. He was furious. How could she have been so stupid to go off like that? Again? She had no concept of her own safety. Growling, he slammed the door open of her house and he was starting to feel that place was more his home than his own room at Sanctuary.

He turned into the main room and was shocked to find Astrid sitting there.

'They've taken her,' he said.

'I know,' she said. 'But if you go after her she will die.'

'If I don't go then she'll die,' he argued.

'I am being serious here, that is the future, if you go to her now she will die. But in that future you go alone. If Zarek and I come with you we have a better chance of getting you both out. Not many were-hunters can fight a god after all,' she said with a smile. He turned and saw Zarek standing in the kitchen; he looked as unamused as he always did.

'And me,' Angel said as he entered the room.

'And me,' Buffy said following him in, she said it begrudgingly, but he had feeling she would have gone by herself even if they had all said no. There was certainly something odd about their relationship.

'So what do you propose we do then?' he asked.


	10. Chapter 10

'Someone get a girl some gumbo?' Faith yelled from her cell. Her chest constricted from the effort. She was held upright by chains attached to the ceiling. They bit into her wrists and her arms ached so much she contemplated biting them off to save herself the pain. She wasn't sure how long she'd been there; she kept drifting in and of consciousness. They seemed to be content with leaving her here while they waited for Sasha.

'And some throw pillows,' she shouted. She coughed. Her throat was so thick. What she wouldn't do for some water. She never thought she would miss being in actual jail. If she made it out of this Sasha was going to be so angry. She frowned. It was very likely she wasn't going to making it out alive at all and she knew it. Well it was bound to happen sooner or later. She wanted to be angry at Sasha for putting her in this mess but she couldn't quite mange it.

Being so far from him she felt like someone had hollowed her out, as if Sasha had possession of her internal organs. It might have been the lack of water, the hours being held up by chains or the beating the jackals had given her, but maybe a life with Sasha wasn't all that bad. Especially if the alternative involved feeling like she had been gutted for the rest of her life, even if that was only going to be a few more hours.

Could she connect herself to a man like that? Wood had made her consider it but he had died on her. She hadn't been in love with him, but perhaps she could have loved him. She'd never know. She had never felt electricity with a man the way she had with Sasha, his presence made her skin buzz and everything inside of her heat up. It scared her to the bone. If she had loved Wood, she would have been in charge. She would be completely herself and could walk away more or less in tact if needed. There wasn't an option like that with Sasha, he would consume her and there would be no walking away from it.

This waiting was taking far too long.

'You are the most boring kidnappers, ever!' She shouted again. Her lungs screamed back at her. She pulled on the chains again. She took a deep breath and jumped in to the air to put momentum and gravity with her strength on the pull. She heard something snap and pain seared through her wrist. She yelled out. She scrunched her eyes and breathed, trying to accommodate the new pain.

'You make a lot of noise for a prisoner.' Faith didn't look up at the voice. She may have wanted someone to interact with five minutes ago, but now she needed to get used to her pain.

'Noise is the spice of life,' she gritted out through her teeth

'I thought that was variety.'

'Yeah that too. So, what are you going to do to me?' She slowly opened her eyes to look at the guy in front of her. He was tall, but then she would have been more surprised if he had been short. He had dark hair that was styled in a cropped mohawk. His eyes were chestnut brown. He was attractive but that seemed to be another feature of being a were-hunter. If he wasn't one of her kidnappers she could have went there. Perhaps not after Sasha. He had wrecked her. He might not be able to physically have sex again but she couldn't mentally. She was just as cursed by this as he was.

'Keep you till he gets here. Chain him. Beat you and rape you in front of him. Kill you. Kill him,' he said in a clipped voice.

'Ok. Now I've tried to explain this before and it didn't work but you look like a clever guy. If you are the good guys, if what you are doing is righteous then why the fuck does it involve rape and murder?'

'It will make an example out of him, out of you. We do this now, it'll stop others turning. Besides you think those fucking animals don't rape our women?'

'I'll tell you what I think; Sasha didn't rape anyone, I didn't rape anyone. We haven't hurt you. He isn't evil and neither am I,' she said.

'We are supposed to believe that?'

'Animals don't lie moron, humans do.' As Faith spoke something dawned on her. Sasha was not and had never been a man. He was a wolf with a human body. He would never treat her the way men had treated her because he wasn't one. His values were different, so was his moral code, and yet it fitted more with her than anyone else's ever had. The jackal frowned at her.

'What happened in that war that convinces you so strongly that he deserves to be killed?' Faith asked.

'Well I'm not going to lecture you in mythology, but when Bast led her war against Artemis Sasha's patria joined her. The stuff they did, it caused nearly all of them to turn slayer. That much bloodshed.' He stopped and took a deep breath. 'That was four hundred years ago and I can still remember it.'

'But the ones who were responsible were punished. Sasha was innocent,' Faith argued.

'I don't know why that happened, but he was not innocent. None of them were.'

'Fine but isn't that the wolf arcadians' problem.'

'It is any sentinel's problem, we are all charged with protecting humans. Plus Vane is tainted. He sides with katagaria.'

'Or maybe he understands the definition of the word coexist.'

'He's deluded.'

Faith wasn't going to argue anymore. She couldn't, the pain from being held up by a broken wrist was too much.

'Get her down,' a new voice entered the room. The new man also had dark hair, maybe it was a jackal thing. His was longer though, just past his shoulders.

'Yes sir,' the original man replied. Sir? That was interesting, though irritating she had just spent the last few moments trying to convince a man who was nothing more than an ant. The Mohawk guy opened the cell door. She held her breath, stilling herself. She had to wait for the right moment or she'd be right back where she started.

He looked up at her and laughed. He pulled out a syringe from his pocket and moved toward her. Ah shit. He edged toward her. Kill him. Hurt him. She agreed with the voice but she was sadly lacking in ability.

'Don't,' she yelled suddenly. 'I will come on my own if you just, just don't drug me.'

The Mohawk guy looked to his leader. He nodded.

'But if I think you're about to make a break for it he will inject you instantly. Do you understand?' Faith nodded.

'But Sir if –'

'She's still human,' the man cut him off. Faith wanted to argue that she didn't consider herself human if it meant she was more like them than Sasha. But she liked them not drugging her more so she held her tongue. Mohawk put the syringe back in his pocket and pulled the keys back out. It didn't take any stretching from monsieur le tall to reach the cuffs of her chains. She was so weak that as soon as the left was released that side of her swung down and all her weight was forced on her broken wrist. She cried out. None of the jackals did anything. He unlocked the other cuff. Her body crumpled on the floor.

She needed a moment but a hand was already on her arm hefting her to her feet.

'Alright grabby I'm moving,' she said and batted his hand away. He raised an eyebrow at her and she shrugged. The movement made her wince. 'Alright answer me this guys. I don't know much about the gods but I thought Bast was similar to Artemis. Why did they go to war? Oh and why did Bast opt for maximum bloodshed?'

The leader started walking on before he answered. 'She didn't. War leads to natural bloodshed anyway. The katagaria involved got warped by it and stopped listening to her commands.'

Faith followed him as she mulled over what he said. 'Who are you?'

'Constantine,' he replied. 'The Grand Regis for the Arcadian Tsakalis.'

'Grand eh?' she muttered under her breath. Unfortunately she failed to account for their hearing and Mohawk slammed her shoulder. She fell on to the stone floor. She took a deep breath, retaliating would only get her more pain right now. Getting back up to her feet she attempted to look at where Constantine was taking her to. They were out of the jail and into a long corridor with plush carpet beneath her feet. She guessed the jackals liked their comforts.

'Where you taking me?' She asked.

'To make Sasha realise he can't get away with his crimes,' he said. Fantastic.

'I still don't understand what you think he did? If the gods deemed him innocent then why do you think you know better than them?'

'They weren't there. They didn't do anything. It was a war against two gods but the others didn't help, didn't take sides. They just let the carnage happen. So you tell me why should I believe what they think is innocent?'

'Because they executed everyone else,' Faith said quietly. She wasn't going to defend the gods, they had royally screwed her. But it seemed to her if only one got away then there had to be a good reason for it.

'They saved him because he was only a whelp. That is no excuse. Even in the human world you'll lock a child away if it has killed.'

Faith was about to answer but was stopped as they entered a big hall. There was about twenty men, eyes all narrowed on her. Hurt them. Attack them.

Constantine turned back and grabbed her arm. She grimaced from the pain. He yanked her forward. She tried to have another look around. This was it. She had to escape or they were going to rip her apart. She was outnumbered. That would never have bothered her with vampires but with these guys? She had thought slayers invincible, after all how many apocalypses had Buffy thwarted. But then she realised, just how many of those had been on her own strength? The first had was defeated because they had turned every potential into a slayer, Willow had been brought back from the brink by Xander. Glory had been killed by Giles when she was in Ben's form. Adam? Buffy had called on the first Slayer. She hadn't even properly killed Dracula. Buffy was intelligent and resourceful. If she had battled any of them with her own strength she would have been killed easily. Faith was starting to feel like they were the bottom of the supernatural ladder.

There was something to learn from that though, she couldn't try to get out with fists blazing or she'd be right back here. She had to think like Buffy. Clothes and Shoes, clothes and shoes. No. Not the time to be sarcastic. She couldn't see an escape at all. She turned to look behind her at the same time as Mohawk moved to inject her.

'No,' she yelled. But it was too late, he planted the needle in the side of her throat. Her body felt swollen as darkness moved around her eyes. 'Fuck – '

She came to and she was on a table. Her head felt thick and clogged up like a blocked drain. She hated drugs and what they did to her. She hated losing control. Her wrists and ankles were tied down. She pulled against and regretted it instantly. She had forgotten she'd broken her wrist.

'You're awake. No point needlessly hurting you when you're asleep. Won't break your spirit that way,' Mohawk said as he leant over her.

'Gee, thanks,' she muttered.

'Faith!' Oh she recognised that voice. She felt the warmth of it spread through her body.

'Sasha?' She said calmly, 'when did you get here?' Maybe it was the drugs still in her system but she felt relaxed by his presence. She suddenly wanted to tell him yes, that she would claim him. She turned her head to try and face him. He was being held by the jackals. That was not good.

'You got yourself caught? I am unimpressed,' she chided.

'You need talk dear heart,' he replied. 'Besides I let them catch me.'

'What?' Constantine suddenly turned. Sasha winked.

Mohawk was suddenly blasted back by a flash of light. Faith followed where the bolt had come from and noticed a man with short dark hair. If she thought the others looked vicious than he looked pure evil now. His grin stretched over his face as metal claws glinted in the light. Sasha had already turned to attacking the men who held him.

'Oi, get me out,' Faith yelled. Her skin itched as she looked over the fight. She wanted to get involved, she wanted to start punching. She looked around and saw a billowy leather coat, woo, Angel had joined the party. And was that? Yep, that was Buffy using that one jackal as a shield.

She was making her way toward the table.

'Hey B, set a girl free would ya?' She yelled.

'I'm getting to it.'

Buffy ducked for a hook and went for the knee. The guy winced but he was barely affected. He grabbed her hair and pulled her upwards.

'Go for the balls!' Faith yelled. Buffy didn't need to be told twice she grabbed and twisted. The guy dropped her to clutch his injured manhood. And Buffy used the free moment to run toward Faith.

'You alright?' Buffy asked as started on the straps.

'Five by five,' Faith answered with a wink. 'Sasha brought the calvary I see.'

'Well not so much the calvary as a were-hunter, a vampire, a slayer and a god.' Buffy freed Faith's left wrist and she went to undo her ankles as Faith worked on her right wrist. 'Are you mobile?'

'Just. Though my wrist is broken.'

'Right come on,' Buffy said and helped Faith to her feet. 'We need to get out.'

'No. I'm going to fucking kill them,' Faith snarled. The familiar worry and judgement flittered across Buffy's eyes.

'We can't take them. Sasha has a plan but we need to leave first.' Faith didn't like the idea of leaving in the middle of a fight. It jarred with her. But she followed Buffy's lead for now. Her body was still groggy from the drugs and dehydration. She hadn't felt this bad since after they had defeated the first. She knew she couldn't fight.

She scanned over the chaos again, Angel was handling himself fine. The dark haired guy from before, which she assumed was the god Buffy had referred to, was having a whale of a time. She made a mental note not to ever piss him off. She found Sasha. He was fighting Constantine and it looked evenly matched. Mohawk had recovered from his attack and was heading toward the two. He had a knife in his hand. Sasha had his back to him. He moved to throw the knife.

'No! Sasha,' she pushed Buffy off her and ran. Her head was suddenly clear. She grabbed onto Sasha's back and the knife struck.

'Fuck,' she whispered.

'Faith.' She felt Sasha's arms around her. She heard him yell something. They started moving, but all she knew was the cold sweat around her body and the numbing pain in her back. She wasn't sure she was going to make it through this one. But she had saved Sasha, so she smiled. She didn't have to face a life without him now, and she didn't have to give herself over to him either.

'I think I'm falling for you,' she muttered.


	11. Chapter 11

Sasha felt like the world was crumbling around him, the walls of his reality surrounding him like debris. He forgot about the man he was fighting, stopping to wrap an arm around Faith while his other hand put pressure on the wound. The guy who stabbed her went to attack him again and for once in his life he froze. But before the knife could land Buffy stepped in the way, kicking the knife out of the were-hunters hand.

He turned to see Angel fighting Constantine.

'Get her out of here,' Buffy yelled. He looked down at the woman in his arms and the world rushed back around him. The volume suddenly pressed to the top. He picked her up and ran, hoping the others would follow.

'Come on Faith, don't let me down, just hold on,' he encouraged her. Everything inside of him was twisting in a panic he had never known. Not even when… No he blocked that image from his mind. That blood and death could stay in the past, there was already too much of it in the present.

He exited the building and ran straight into the next. It was a shoe lace factory closed for the night. He saw Astrid's white blonde hair before he saw her. She rushed toward him the minute he saw Faith in his arms.

'What happened?' Astrid asked.

'What does it look like, she got bloody stabbed,' he snapped. Astrid frowned at him but didn't comment. He lay Faith on the ground. Astrid started grabbing the needle, thread and bandages from the first aid box Buffy had made. He hadn't known what humans needed for 'first aid' it wasn't an issue with weres. If it didn't kill you outright you generally survived, at least long enough to go find someone to fix it. Humans were so fucking fragile.

'This was supposed to me,' Sasha realised, remembering what Astrid had said in the kitchen. Why is it not me? He was shaking. He had spent so long watching her, trying to coax her into liking him, that he had fallen for her. He didn't just want to be with her anymore, he couldn't not be with her. This tiny vampire slayer was his entire world, and he was the reason she was lying near-dead in front of him.

Astrid finished her bandaging and sat back, 'Hopefully she didn't lose too much blood.'

'I can't lose her,' he whispered. Astrid put her hand on his shoulder. He knew she was trying to help but he didn't feel it. He felt hollow.

Buffy and Angel came running in and both of them were bruised and bleeding. Zarek appeared next to them and smiled in that psycho way of his. A loud bang followed by the ground rumbling, and he laughed. He had exploded their building. It had always been the plan, or they would keep coming after Faith and Sasha, but Sasha just didn't care. It meant nothing if they kept coming after him. He would let them have him if the world wasn't going to have Faith in.

Zarek crouched next to Faith and Sasha growled.

'Quiet Rin Tin Tin,' Zarek replied. 'Do you want me to help your mate?'

Sasha stopped growling but he didn't like it. His mate was wounded and he couldn't stand another man around her like that, especially one as powerful as Zarek. No matter how much he reluctantly trusted the man his natural instincts told him to attack.

Zarek placed a hand on Faith's wound. The skin held together by Astrid's stitching slowly knitted together and the thread pushed out.

'Man that hurt like a bitch,' Faith groaned as she opened her eyes. She struggled to sit up but Sasha didn't give her a chance, he reached out and kissed her full force. She responded but soon made a noise of protest. 'Take it easy I've just been skewered.'

'Don't ever do that again,' he said. She looked like she was about to admonish him for telling her what to do, but something made her change he mind. He pulled her into his lap and held her there. He thought she'd struggle, or protest or make a snarky comment. But she just leaned against his chest and breathed. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard.

'Well Faith that move was epically stupid, but I'm glad to see you're not dead,' Buffy said.

'You do have the monopoly on that,' Faith spoke against him.

'Faith?' Angel asked quietly.

'Don't worry big guy totally five by five here,' she replied. Sasha looked up at the two, and Angel at least seemed to be warring with whether they should try to come near her or not. Sasha knew he should probably let them, but he growled instead. 'Ah Sasha baby calm down,' she said and patted his shoulder.

He froze. He didn't know whether it was because she called him baby or patted him like a puppy but he was utterly shocked. He even let her wiggle free from his arms. The cold that replaced her body brought him back to reality. She stood up and he followed suit.

'I did say I was bored,' Faith smiled. Angel shook his head in disbelief and Buffy rolled her eyes.

'Okay, now all that is taken care of we need to go relieve Valerius of our son,' Astrid said. 'I am sorry for what my sisters did. They promise to leave you alone from now on.'

'Because their word is so fucking trustworthy,' Sasha snarled.

'They are still my sisters, and what they did was for me. They know if they were to go after to you again I wouldn't forgive them.' Sasha wanted to tell her that she shouldn't forgive them for what they did this time, but he knew it was pointless. At least, he thought, it meant she was loyal enough he could screw up royally and she'd still be on his side.

'Oh and Faith, it's not just you,' Astrid said.

'What?' Faith asked.

'The thing, inside of you. Slayers were made out of a demon, there's a tiny part of it inside. I think yours is louder than mosts, but you're not crazy.'

'Louder…' Faith said and trailed off. Sasha knew she had to be thinking of the things she'd done in the past. If she had a demon inside of her those things would demand blood at all costs. No wonder her pain had turned her violent.

'You two need to talk, but I'm glad for you both, and let me know when you're free to babysit. We're waging a celestial war and you know, it all helps.' She walked into Zarek's arms and they both disappeared.

'Now that's how to make an exit,' Buffy admired. Sasha wasn't looking forward to the conversation he was due to have. For those few seconds where she laid in his arms he'd allowed himself to believe they were mates fully. When she'd been about to die in his arms, he wanted to go with her, he wanted to be bonded.

'I guess we should head back now?' Faith said and everyone nodded slowly. He had done an awful lot of feeling these last few days. He had had more emotions in the last couple of weeks than he had in the last couple of centuries and he wasn't sure whether he loved it or hated. Faith was like a one woman tornado to his psyche.

The four of them headed back to Faith's in a silence that was almost tangible, but he had nothing to say yet. His happiness over Faith's recovery had fallen into dread that she was going to leave him. Well fuck that. He had heard her as she had been stabbed, and she had took that blade for him. That wasn't someone who didn't care. He was going to fight for her, he'd be damned if he let her walk away from whatever it was they had between them.

'So that's it, no more nasties waiting round the corner for you?' Buffy asked as they walked through Faith's front door.

'Not even close, that was just one pack of jackals. Most Arcadians want me dead and there are thousands of them. Not to mention the Katagaria that want me toasted. On the bright side, they don't tend to torture, just rip apart,' Sasha replied.

'Oh well then,' she replied. Whatever. He had no reason to convince her he was worth living with. Faith, would she accept being part of a life that involved constant hiding? 'Well I'm tired so I'm going to head to bed. Aren't you Angel?'

'Erm yes,' he answered. Wow, he was a bad liar, Sasha appreciated the thought though. Faith didn't it seemed. She headed straight to the kitchen. Beer he reckoned. Sure enough she walked back through with two buds in her hands. She passed one to him before sitting on the sofa.

'You need to know about me,' she said. 'Properly about me. Not just what Buffy told you, though she wasn't entirely wrong.'

'I already know.' This wasn't going to end well. But he couldn't lie to her about it, couldn't pretend he hadn't done it.

'What?' she asked.

'I knew you wouldn't tell me on your own and I wanted to understand you. So I…' he took a deep breath. 'I went into your dreams.'

'You did what,' she asked standing up. 'You took a day trip into my mind. Who gave you the fucking right? My secrets were mine for a reason. How would you feel if I did the same back? Walked through your past?'

'I'd tell you anything you wanted to know,' Sasha replied. 'It's pretty boring and bleak but I'd tell you.'

Faith continued to glare at him.

'You had no fucking right,' she said again though it was quieter. 'What did you see?'

'I saw bits of your childhood. Some of you being a teenager, I saw when you killed a man in the shipyard, and others.'

All of Faith's anger seemed to leave with that comment. She sat herself back on the sofa and let out a sigh. She ran her hand through her hair.

'Yeah, my mum was an alcoholic, I turned tricks to live, and then I became the slayer. I was someone, but then my watcher was murdered and it turns out there was this other slayer. So I ran to her. She had this fucking fantastic life like you wouldn't believe. She had a home, a mother who loved her, friends and a living watcher. And they all worshipped the ground she worked on. I wanted a little piece of that.'

Sasha walked over to the sofa and sat next to her.

'And then I killed someone. It was an accident I swear, but I did it. And I blamed Buffy, because the sun shone out of her ass and everyone would let her get away with it. But of course they figured it out. And they tried to trick me, arrest me, break me. They kept saying they wanted to help…'

'But all you could see was the blood on your hands,' Sasha added. Faith nodded and took a swig of her beer.

'So I turned to the only place I believed I could. I joined Mayor Wilkins, guy was weird. He was a germ-phobic family man, who was crazy evil. But he treated me like I was special, like Buffy didn't matter because he had me. The more I worked for him the more he loved me. I loved the power and I loved being loved. So I kept staining my hands in blood and dying inside. Right up until I nearly killed Angel and Buffy nearly killed me.'

Faith took another break.

'I gave him a poison that could only be cured by Slayer's blood.'

'You knew she'd come for you,' Sasha stated.

'Yes. It was always going to come down to me or her, and she won. She stuck me with a dagger, but I threw myself from the building. I wouldn't die for her or for him. Not then.'

'What changed?' He asked.

'I did. When I woke up from my coma, Wilkins was dead and I did some pretty desperate things. I even tortured a man so that Angel would kill me. But he helped me. I went to jail for what I'd done, but I broke out when I needed to help Angel and later Buffy.'

'Faith…'

'Your turn,' she said before he could finish. 'Tell me why everyone wants to kill you, and spare me the generic history lesson. I want to know why you.'

'Alright,' Sasha replied. 'In that battle about ninety percent of my pack turned slayer. I didn't know. Not at first anyway, and I kept taking orders from them. I was a teenager and I had to obey my Alpha, that's just what you do in a pack. I didn't question it when he sent me to kill people, I assumed they were Artemis's soldiers.'

'They weren't?'

'Nope. I killed a lot of innocent people before I knew what was happening. I was let off by the justice nymphs because I was young and didn't know what I was doing. Arcadians believe I knew all along, and Katagaria think I'm a sell out.'

'Oh.'

'Believe me when I say I know exactly what it is like to have killed for someone you thought loved you.'

'Your Alpha'

'He was my father,' Sasha answered. 'I know how it eats you up inside but there's this little tiny part of you, that doesn't actually regret it, because it meant they loved you. And that shit is fucked up.'

Sasha reached across and pulled Faith onto his lap. She leaned her head against his chest. And it felt amazing there, like it belonged.

'I don't know if I can do this,' Faith said against him. 'I don't trust people, least of all men.'

'I'm not a man,' Sasha replied and ran his hands through her hair.

'We'll have a lot of issues,' she stated.

'What you mean like most were-hunters wanting us dead?'

'Not quite what I meant,' Faith replied. 'But I don't like to be boring, and it will keep us on our toes. We could go after them first.'

'You mean the ones actively hunting me?'

'Yeah, make a statement show we're not to be messed with,' she suggested.

'I like how you think,' Sasha smiled.

'Ok then. Let's do this thing,' Faith said. She looked up at him. He kissed her. Hard at first but he melted against her lips.

'I love you Faith,' he said as they parted.

'I…I think I love you too.'

* * *

**The End x**


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